weekly meal plan

Happy Monday!  What a busy, but fun weekend we had.  My son made his first Communion and my husband and daughter ran their first 5K in the cold and rain on Sunday!  But, it’s Monday and we are back on track for a busy week.  Here’s a peek at what was on our menu last week.  If interested, you can read about my meal planning process here.  If you notice most of my recipes this week came from Cooking Light.  Summer is coming and I am trying to cook and eat healthier…..at least when eating at home! 

Saturday – My husband and son were with the cub scouts camping at Herkimer Diamond Mine and my daughter and I had lunch/dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. 

Sunday – I made boxed mac and cheese which we ate while watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.  Sometimes, mom needs a break from cooking – and we needed some family time!

Monday – I made Cooking Light’s, August 2006 Sauteed Tilapia with Honey Scallion Dressing.  This was a recipe repeat which I made years ago and that we had enjoyed.  This was good, but I would double the dressing, since that’s what gives the fish flavor, as well dressing the salad mix.

Tuesday – I made Chicken Tortellini Soup from Damn Delicious.  I added extra tortellini and broth to the soup.  This was easy to make and very flavorful.  Unfortunately, leftovers are not great as the tortellini get mushy.

Wednesday – I adapted a March 2016, Cooking Light recipe for Turkey Taco Burritos.  I used ground chicken, since it was on sale this week at Shoprite.  This was quick and easy to make, especially since instead of the individual spices, I used Penzeys Taco seasoning.  I also added guacamole to my husband and my burritos.  My kids love any homemade type taco or burrito dish so this was a hit with them.  I served these with roasted broccoli.

Thursday –  Normally, I make pizza on Friday nights.  However, my daughter had piano lessons, followed almost immediately by my son’s second Communion practice.  So, I needed something quick and easy for us to eat.  We ended up eating one slice of pizza prior to piano at 4:30 and a second after Communion practice at 8 PM!  This week I added some leftover roasted broccoli to the pizza.

Friday – I adapted a September 2006, Cooking Light recipe for Creamy Cajun Shrimp Linguine.  I used a whole box of linguine and added a little extra half-and-half and some pasta water to extend the sauce.  I also sautéed some garlic and onion with the peppers and mushrooms.  We love Penzeys spices and used their Cajun seasoning blend. This dish needed more Cajun spice flavor so we added extra while we were eating.

It’s Monday, which means another meal plan, here on the blog.  As you may have noticed,  I took a blogging break last week.  I’m hoping to be back to regularly posting this week!  Last weekend we had my daughter’s family birthday party.  We made a ham and had plenty of leftovers.  Knowing that we would probably end up with a lot of leftover ham, I planned the weekly menu using recipes that would help use it up.  This was especially necessary, since my son hates eating leftovers.  Yes, he’s 7 1/2 and has already become a food snob! So here’s what was cooking last week:

Saturday – We went out to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant.  I was too hungry to remember to take pics of our dishes (#thestruggleisreal/#firstworldproblems!)  but managed to get this dessert pic in before the kids really dug in!  My daughter picked out this dessert of fried dough with springled sugar, honey, whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.

Sunday – We had ham, twice baked potatoes and roasted broccoli for my daughter’s 10th birthday celebration with the family followed by an ice cream cake.

Monday – I made Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta from Taste of Home.  I’ve made a similar type of dish before but not this specific one from Taste of Home.  This dish was tasty but definitely not “light” with the chicken, ham AND bacon.  While tasty, I won’t be making dishes like this again anytime soon – for healthy eating reasons. 

Tuesday – I made Cheesy Leftover Ham and Rice Casserole from I Wash You Dry. I used a defrosted box of frozen broccoli in lieu of fresh.  I thought that the two cans of cheese soup the recipe called for would have a weird or salty taste, but was surprised at how it worked in this dish.  The only soup I could find at Shoprite was Campbell’s.  This is an easy dish, but it’s not quick.  The casserole has to cook for over an hour.  This was a filling and tasty meal that we all enjoyed.

Wednesday – I made corned beef Reubens which I served with tater tots.  I cooked a corned beef in the slow cooker and then put slices of it on seedless rye bread. I then added Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing.  The kids love Reubens so these sandwiches were a hit.

Thursday – I made Ham & Leek Hand Pies from Everyday with Rachael Ray.  We had a busy afternoon so I ended up making these earlier in the day and then reheating them in the toaster when we were ready to eat.  We ate these with a Caesar salad.  These were a little bit of work to make but very tasty.  I did omit the rosemary that the recipe called for since the kids and I really dislike the taste of it.

Friday – We went to my husband’s aunt’s house for a Seder to celebrate the first night of Passover.

What do you have planned on your menu for the week?

Is it Monday again?!!  The weekend goes by so quickly!  Here’s a look at what was on our menu last week.

Saturday – We hosted our monthly supper club.  This month’s theme was Chef Gordon Ramsay.  I made a Roasted Chicken with Chickpea Stuffing and my husband made Ramsay’s famous Beef Wellington.  It was an amazing meal!

Sunday – My husband and daughter were at her Girl Scout Father/Daughter Dance.  So, my son and I went and saw Zootopia and then got salads from Chop’t.  I was able to have my favorite Kebab Cobb with falafel.  Yum!

Monday – I made Risotto with Italian Sausage, Caramelized Onions and Bitter Greens from Cooking Light, March 2008.  I didn’t realize until I went to make this that I was out of grated parmesan cheese, so I used shredded mozzarella instead.  This was tasty and most of us enjoyed this (my son not so much). 

Tuesday – I made an adapted version of One Pot Spicy Thai Noodles from Domestic Superhero.  My kids love anything with Asian flavors and this was a hit.  They both had seconds.  I didn’t make my version spicy and changed the sauce up a bit.  I used ground chicken for the protein in this dish which worked.

Wednesday – I made Slow Cooker Carnitas from allrecipes.com.  Tacos are always a hit in our house and these were tasty.  The meat was flavorful and tender.   I served the tacos with yellow rice.

Thursday – I made Reuben Waffle Fries from Melanie Makes.  Everyone in our family loves reubens, so these were a hit!  I didn’t have the Robert Rothschild Farm Toasted Garlic Horseradish Dip and made homemade Thousand Island dressing instead.  My husband asked why we don’t have this all the time and was impressed with my homemade Thousand Island dressing!

Friday – We had our usual homemade pizza, just cheese again this week.

It’s Monday again…..why does the weekend go by so quickly?!  Did anyone else get snow……in APRIL?!!!  We had a busy, but fun weekend and today my husband and I are celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary!  We will be enjoying a lunch date to celebrate today since our April calendar is packed!  Anyway, here is a look at what was on our menu this past week.

Saturday – Leftovers.  Quick, easy and we were able to clean out the fridge.

Sunday – We celebrated Easter at my parent’s house with lamb, ham, roasted asparagus, twice baked potatoes and my mom’s homemade bread.  Sadly, I didn’t take any pictures of the dinner table!

Monday – We had leftover ham and I made mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli.

Tuesday – I used some leftover lamb and made empanadas which we had with salad.

Wednesday – I made Onion-Smothered Italian Burgers from Cooking Light, August 2008.  This is the third time I’ve made these…..but I won’t be making them again.  I noted in the cookbook that the kids had enjoyed these on a previous occasion that I made them.  This time though, we all thought that they were just okay.

Thursday – I made Skinnytaste Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken which we had over cilantro-lime rice.  This was pretty good.  I’ve made so many similar type dishes before since I know the kids will eat it.  This one didn’t stand out as exceptional but was tasty enough.  The shredded cheese and sour cream we added didn’t help in the “skinny” part of the recipe!

Friday – My husband made the usual busy Friday night homemade pizza.  This week was just plain, cheese pizza for all.

Happy Monday everyone!  This is the start of our spring break and as you are reading this our family is in Philadelphia doing some sight seeing for a couple of days.  For those new to the blog, you can read more about our meal planning process here.  Here is a look at what was on our menu last week:

Saturday – My parents came over for dinner before we went to see my daughter in her Annie Kids school musical.  My husband made Asian Turkey Burgers which he served with fries and salad.

Sunday – My husband made a whole chicken in the slow cooker which we had with mashed potatoes and carrots.  Whole chicken in the slow cooker is so easy and we usually end up with enough chicken for another meal!

Monday – I made Sausage, Peppers and Onions from Food Network courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis.  I’ve made sausage and peppers before, but this version was super tasty.  I was trying to use up a loaf of sourdough bread that was totally the wrong kind of bread to use.  We ended up eating most of this meal without the bread.  It’s very flavorful and would probably taste great over pasta! 

Tuesday – I made Tex Mex Breakfast Casserole from Shutterbean.  It was just alright and definitely needed the salsa and sour cream topping.  My son, whose favorite meal is breakfast, wasn’t a fan of this.  Not sure if this was because I used apple chicken breakfast sausage.  But I’ve made lots of breakfast casseroles before which he has eaten.  Side note – my casserole needed almost double the 20-25 minute cook time that the recipe called for.

Wednesday – I did not plan my menu taking the weather into effect.  Wednesday was a beautiful day and I made Old Time Beef Stew from Food Network courtesy of Paula Deen.  It was tasty, but again, my son didn’t finish his dinner, complaining, “the meat is too chewy!” Unfortunately, I think this meal ended the chili, stews and soups for dinner until the fall.

Thursday – Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  We celebrated with slow cooker corned beef, sautéed cabbage and onions, red mashed potatoes and Irish soda bread.  Yum!

Friday – We had pizza at our son’s grade level family game night event.

What is on your menu this week?  I’m always looking for new recipe recommendations!

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a great weekend!   It’s time once again to share our weekly meal with pictures and reviews.  If you are new to meal planning you can read more about our meal planning process.  The weather is still cool enough to enjoy chili and soups, so I have been taking advantage of it!

Saturday – Our daughter put in a request for chicken piccata and my husband happily obliged.  He made some pasta with broccoli, garlic and olive oil to accompany.

Sunday – We had our peanut butter themed supper club.  Even though February’s supper club was the week before, due to everyone’s busy schedules, Sunday was the only day in March that we were all free.  I made Thai Veggie Burgers with Peanut Sauce from Annie’s Eats and my husband made Cold Sesame Noodles.

Monday – I made Ramen Wrapped Cod with Cajun Spice from Belly Full (formerly Very Culinary).  I served this with roasted asparagus.  My son helped me with the flouring and wrapping of the cod in the ramen, which was appreciated.  We found the dish to lack the Cajun flavor, so we added more Cajun seasoning (we like Penzeys Spices) after it was cooked.  While this was an interesting use of ramen, it wasn’t a dish that we loved.

Tuesday – I had a lunch date with my husband and then made a trip to HMart, a Korean grocery store.  I picked up some pre-marinated beef bulgogi and dumplings which I served with rice and roasted broccoli and baby bok choy.  Unfortunately, we were disappointed with the flavor of the bulgogi and next time, I am going to marinate it myself.

Wednesday – I made Spaghetti and Meatball Soup from Damn Delicious.  I forgot to break the spaghetti up into smaller pieces and the instead of leaving 4 ounces of spaghetti left in the box I put the whole thing in.  The pasta absorbed most of the liquid and it ended up more like regular spaghetti and meatballs versus a soup.  I made homemade turkey meatballs, but you can also use store bought frozen to decrease hands on cooking time.

Thursday – I made Beer Braised Beanless Chili from Melanie Makes again.  I first made this a few months ago.  We liked it enough that I decided to make it again before spring arrives and we won’t be wanting chili and stews.

Friday – I made pizza.  I also breaded and fried up some eggplant and made an eggplant and mozzarella pizza for my husband and I.

Happy President’s Day!  If you live on the Northeast coast, did you survive the bitter cold temps this weekend?!  Hopefully you had an awesome weekend and are enjoying a day off like we are.  We are currently on our way home after spending a weekend up at my parent’s house in Rhode Island.  You can read more about how we meal plan, if you are new to the process.  Here’s a look at what was on our menu this past week.

Saturday – My husband made a hot dog party with toppings including home-made frizzled onions, onions in red sauce, chili and cheese and served it with French fries.

Sunday – As I’ve mentioned, I’m not into football and the only reason I like the Super Bowl is that it’s an excuse to eat tasty snack foods.   My husband made fried ravioli and chili with rice and we bought chili con queso with tortilla chips.  It was really good!

Monday – I made 5 Ingredient Butternut Squash, Arugula and Goat Cheese Pasta from Gimme Some Oven.  I omitted the pine nuts, so my version was only four ingredients!  This was an easy vegetarian pasta dish.  Roasting the butternut squash sweetens it even more and even the kids liked it.

Tuesday – I made Mango, Black Bean, & BBQ Chicken with Rice Lettuce Bowls with Chile Lime Vinaigrette from With Salt & Wit.  I’ve just started on the whole dinners in a “bowl.”  They are great because you can add or substitute ingredients of your choice.  These BBQ chicken bowls were a hit with the family.

Wednesday – At the last minute I realized that last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday and we couldn’t have meat.  I didn’t have time to stop at the grocery store to pick up salmon, so I made Hoisin Glazed Shrimp Noodles adapted from this recipe from Every Day with Rachael Ray.  I was able to use some of the rice vermicelli noodles that we had in our pantry.  This was quick, easy and tasty enough although it definitely didn’t make the repeat list.

Thursday – I made Cashew Chicken in the crockpot from Dainty Chef, which I served with rice and veggies.  I added the cashews at the very end as more of a garnish  The sauce for this was kind of salty but it was a quick and easy dinner.

Friday – Last Friday was super busy.  My husband came home from work a little early and helped make the pizzas so we could eat dinner in between all the scheduled activities.

Hello Monday!  Not so happy to see you.  We were spoiled with a three day weekend after a snow day on Friday!  But, back to the grind we go.  We have to get through this week and then have a week off for February break!  You can read more about how we meal plan if you are new to the process and want some tips.  Here’s a look at what was on our meal plan last week:

Saturday –  I was out during the day so the husband stuck a chuck roast in the slow cooker and we had the beef, mashed potatoes and veggies.

Sunday –  My son had a birthday party in the evening, which my husband took him to.  While they were eating pizza, my daughter and I had Five Guys cheeseburgers and fries!

Monday – We had Turkey and Rice Skillet from Very Culinary (which is now Belly Full).  This is a quick one pot meal.  We thought it lacked a little flavor and added hot sauce to it.

Tuesday – I made Orange Beef Teriyaki Soup from Melanie Makes.  I have to admit that I didn’t season the beef with cinnamon and other spices because I don’t like the taste of it on savory foods.  This soup still tasted great without it.  It had a nice blend of sweet and spicy flavors.

Wednesday – I made Asian Pork Meatballs over Sesame Rice Noodles from Belly Full.  I substituted ground meatloaf mix for the ground pork for the meatballs.  I also didn’t have rice noodles and used spaghetti instead.  This was a tasty meal!  Asian spaghetti and meatballs!

Thursday – We used the leftover roast in beef burritos.  This is another meal where there’s no real recipe, we just add some cooked rice, beans, cheese, salsa and sour cream and we all love it.  And it’s a great way to use up leftover protein.

Friday – We had our usual homemade pizza.  This is a quick and tasty weekly staple.

Is it Monday already?!  The weekends go  by way too fast!  We had a jam-packed weekend filled with fun.  For those new to meal planning you can read more our meal planning process.  Here is a look at what was on our menu last week:

Saturday – We were snowed in from Storm Jonas.  We ended up making some pasta with sauce.  Super simple.

Sunday – The Weekend Chef made tilapia, crispy hash brown potatoes and Brussels sprouts.

Monday – I made Greek Wedding Soup from Every Day with Rachael Ray, December 2008.  I made this recipe once before and this was as tasty this time as it was the first time I made it! ‘m not a big fan of “soup as the meal,” but with the orzo and meatballs this was filling enough.  I used ground turkey instead of the ground lamb or beef that the recipe called for.  I also used vegetable stock instead of the chicken broth, which led to the dark colored broth.   

Tuesday – I made Chicken with Chorizo and Tomato Salsa from Cooking Light, January 2015.  I was able to finish up the chorizo that I had used in last week’s Mexican Chorizo Hash.  I added avocado slices as well.  This dish was really tasty.  I served the chicken with roasted broccoli and rice.

Wednesday –  I made Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Florentine Pasta from Pinch of Yum.   This recipe was a bit disappointing.  We found it a bit flavorless, even though the ingredients sounded good together.

Thursday – I made Loaded Breakfast Totchos from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen.  This was by far the kids favorite meal of the week!  Breakfast for dinner usually is!  Crazy enough, I ended up leaving the bacon out of this dish, since it already had sausage.  Tater tots topped with sausage, cheese, homemade country gravy and scrambled eggs and scallions.  Yum!

Friday –  Friday was a crazy, busy night and I ended up making Steak & Bleu Cheese Salad with Blueberry Balsamic Dressing from The Creative Bite.  I left out the blueberries in the balsamic dressing and found it tasty without.  This salad was really tasty with all of the “stuff” which included mixed greens, steak, blueberries, blue cheese crumbles and walnuts!  Unfortunately, we found it wasn’t very filling (or we didn’t eat enough of it!).  We ended up eating dinner at 5 PM before we had to go to a school event.  By the time we headed home from the event, around 8:30 PM, we were all starving!  We ended up making a quick stop at KFC and bought a popcorn chicken and fries snack.

Did everyone survive Snowmageddon this past weekend?!    Fortunately, we did, only really being snowbound Saturday, with about 9 inches of snow.  We were able to get some house chores we had been putting off done and also had lots of relaxing time.  Sometimes, a mandatory stay-cation day does a family good!  So, let’s take a look at what was on our menu this past week.

Saturday –  We hosted our monthly supper club.  This month’s theme was “crispy.”  The Weekend Chef made beer battered fish and I made these Korean Fried Chicken Tacos from Half Baked Harvest.

Sunday – We went to our neighbor’s birthday party and ate dinner there.

Monday – The Weekend Chef made Chicken quarters with a tomato sauce, garlic bread and kale chips.

Tuesday – I made Kale, Sausage and Butternut Squash Linguini Pasta from With Salt & Wit.  I adapted this recipe quite a bit, but overall, it was a tasty enough dish.  Not sure if it’s something I’d repeat, but I’m glad I finally cooked with butternut squash!  It had been awhile.

Wednesday – We had Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Sandwiches from Diary of a Recipe Collector.  We used chicken quarters and thighs, which worked out great, since the chicken didn’t dry out.  I omitted the bacon and we just had cheddar cheese and tomato on the sandwiches.  We ate this with a Caesar Salad.  The kids really liked this dinner.

Thursday – We had breakfast for dinner with Mexican Chorizo Hash from Cooking Light, March 2014.  Breakfast for dinner is always a win in our house and this was no different.  I think it could have used a little more seasoning/flavor but I liked the addition of the spinach and roasted bell peppers.

Friday – We had homemade cheese pizza.  Pizza is our usual Friday night meal, especially since Friday nights have become one of our busiest nights of the week!