I have tried every meal planning method possible.
I have spent hours poring over sales flyers, coupons and recipe books.
In theory, meal planning is a fabulous idea.
In our household reality, not so much.
First off, my husband dislikes leftovers. And sandwiches. What did I grow up eating? Leftovers and sandwiches. My mom was a whiz at making a little bit of money s-t-r-e-t-c-h a LONG ways. Purposely creating leftovers helped her do that. So that is what I learned. But what I learned is not serving me well today.
Secondly, two days out of the week my husband goes to school in the evenings and doesn't come home for dinner. So I have to make sure that his lunch will last him all day long. When I calculate it out, I am preparing 25 meals a week.
No wonder I am exhausted! And frustrated!
Lastly, we have some picky eaters in our midst. I won't name names, but it can be challenging to cater to certain palates. And, I am not an adventurous eater. My husband, he thrives on adventure!
He doesn't consider lentils or split pea soup to be adventurous.
Sigh.
Can you see my dilemma now? I want to reap the benefits of menu planning, but I have no idea how to make it fit my family.
Did any of you ladies get a big fat 'F' in meal planning? How do you deal with the need for variety among discerning palates? How do you incorporate specific needs/wants of certain family members without losing your mind?
FIVE IN THE POTTER'S HAND
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Frugal Failure
I am, admittedly, a person who likes to eat tried and true favorites. I very rarely like to branch out and try something new.
So, when I decided to try Cabbage Rolls, I surprised even myself.
Unfortunately, what someone else deems as delicious I could classify as "Gag me with a spoon...or a cabbage leaf...." No offense meant to cabbage lovers out there. Only my husband liked the meal. The kids picked out the filling and ate it with rice...so did I.
A failed attempt to plan a meal around what is on sale that week.
At least I haven't bombed like this in quite a while...so that is comforting. I'll make up for it by serving something really yummy tomorrow.
So, when I decided to try Cabbage Rolls, I surprised even myself.
Unfortunately, what someone else deems as delicious I could classify as "Gag me with a spoon...or a cabbage leaf...." No offense meant to cabbage lovers out there. Only my husband liked the meal. The kids picked out the filling and ate it with rice...so did I.
A failed attempt to plan a meal around what is on sale that week.
At least I haven't bombed like this in quite a while...so that is comforting. I'll make up for it by serving something really yummy tomorrow.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Don't Pay Too Much For Your Poultry...
WINCO has an awesome deal going....if you spend $50 (excluding the turkey) you get a Norbest frozen turkey for $0.22 a pound! I got a 15 lb turkey for about $4 :)
Thanks to my mother and my neighbor for alerting me to this FABULOUSLY FRUGAL deal!
Thanks to my mother and my neighbor for alerting me to this FABULOUSLY FRUGAL deal!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
How Did The Meal Plan Go: Day Six
Day 6::
Breakfast: Cold cereal. I think I forgot to eat breakfast. I was awoken rather early by a terrified Mr. Dramatic.
"There's a bee in the living room!" He was stung by a wasp a few months back, so his fear is quite understandable.
"Honey are you sure it's a bee?" Often flying insects get slapped with the all inclusive: "It's a bee!!!!"
"Yes! It is black and yellow."
Oh joy, a yellow jacket in my living room.
My adrenaline starts to flow...can't decide at this point if it is the fight or flight mechanism kicking in. Briefly I consider the idea of waiting for my husband to get home in a mere six hours. But then I come back to reality. I am the mother. Their protector. I am the Bug Killer by default when Mr. Q is not home, and wasps are included in my job description.
I tell the boys to take care of their sister, say a prayer, ask my son exactly where it was when he last saw it, mentally say another prayer "Lord, please let it not be flying around like crazy!" and courageously step outside of the safety of my bedroom door.
Bleary-eyed, and squinting through glasses that have a four year old prescription in them, I locate the offender where my son had directed me. It was on the floor laying on its side.
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! It's dead! Mr. Dramatic had told me it was alive and moving. Oh, wait a minute....nope, it's not dead! Eeek! Acckk!
Regain my lost bug killing composure and review my choices for weapons.
Library book? Nah, bug guts on public property not a good idea.
Rolled up newspaper? Nope, doesn't have enough accuracy. There is no room for error when dealing with wasps.
Finally, I settle on my husband's flip-flop. Big enough surface area for maximum annihilation assurance, long enough that if I miss I have a chance at a getaway.
Screw up the courage that seems to be draining from my body fast in vast amounts of perspiration.
One foot slowly moves forward. Stealth is everything. The other foot. I am now approximately six inches from the now more lively wasp.
WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!
WHACK! Sorry, one more for good measure.
Clean up bug guts and any possible stinger left on carpet. Exclaim joyfully and jitteryishly to your kids that it is dead.
Throw remains in the woodstove just in case...
Lunch:
Hubby ate out again (I know, I slacked.), kids and I had hotdogs with cheese.
Dinner:
Ranch chicken over leftover spaghetti. I think we are all a little tired of spaghetti now. The chicken was marinated in ranch sauce prior to baking in oven. It had a nice kick to it. The boys didn't want any chicken so they had noodles with butter and parmesan cheese.
***Edited: Okay, I CANNOT believe that none of you caught my horrible grammatical faux-paux! Maybe you all are just too sweet to correct me. What I meant to say is " I was awakened rather early.." Apparently I was still half asleep when I wrote and proofread my post....LOL!
Breakfast: Cold cereal. I think I forgot to eat breakfast. I was awoken rather early by a terrified Mr. Dramatic.
"There's a bee in the living room!" He was stung by a wasp a few months back, so his fear is quite understandable.
"Honey are you sure it's a bee?" Often flying insects get slapped with the all inclusive: "It's a bee!!!!"
"Yes! It is black and yellow."
Oh joy, a yellow jacket in my living room.
My adrenaline starts to flow...can't decide at this point if it is the fight or flight mechanism kicking in. Briefly I consider the idea of waiting for my husband to get home in a mere six hours. But then I come back to reality. I am the mother. Their protector. I am the Bug Killer by default when Mr. Q is not home, and wasps are included in my job description.
I tell the boys to take care of their sister, say a prayer, ask my son exactly where it was when he last saw it, mentally say another prayer "Lord, please let it not be flying around like crazy!" and courageously step outside of the safety of my bedroom door.
Bleary-eyed, and squinting through glasses that have a four year old prescription in them, I locate the offender where my son had directed me. It was on the floor laying on its side.
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! It's dead! Mr. Dramatic had told me it was alive and moving. Oh, wait a minute....nope, it's not dead! Eeek! Acckk!
Regain my lost bug killing composure and review my choices for weapons.
Library book? Nah, bug guts on public property not a good idea.
Rolled up newspaper? Nope, doesn't have enough accuracy. There is no room for error when dealing with wasps.
Finally, I settle on my husband's flip-flop. Big enough surface area for maximum annihilation assurance, long enough that if I miss I have a chance at a getaway.
Screw up the courage that seems to be draining from my body fast in vast amounts of perspiration.
One foot slowly moves forward. Stealth is everything. The other foot. I am now approximately six inches from the now more lively wasp.
WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!
WHACK! Sorry, one more for good measure.
Clean up bug guts and any possible stinger left on carpet. Exclaim joyfully and jitteryishly to your kids that it is dead.
Throw remains in the woodstove just in case...
Lunch:
Hubby ate out again (I know, I slacked.), kids and I had hotdogs with cheese.
Dinner:
Ranch chicken over leftover spaghetti. I think we are all a little tired of spaghetti now. The chicken was marinated in ranch sauce prior to baking in oven. It had a nice kick to it. The boys didn't want any chicken so they had noodles with butter and parmesan cheese.
***Edited: Okay, I CANNOT believe that none of you caught my horrible grammatical faux-paux! Maybe you all are just too sweet to correct me. What I meant to say is " I was awakened rather early.." Apparently I was still half asleep when I wrote and proofread my post....LOL!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
How Did The Meal Plan Go: Day Five
Day 5::
Breakfast: Hubby had oatmeal and the kids and I had cold cereal.
Lunch: Mr Q went out to eat for lunch. The kids ate wontons (filled with creme cheese) and apple slices. I had a ranch chicken flatbread sandwich. (Okay, I know I didn't stick to the lunch meal plan. Our neighbor brought over a bag of frozen goods that didn't fit in her freezer. It was from Schwann's! So I took advantage because I am eager to try out the stuff (read: too tired and lazy to cook lunch)!)
Dinner: Potato skins! Yummy! We all like these, but I think I will do them with red potatoes next time. We are red potatoe fanatics! The kids thought they were giant potato chips:)
Breakfast: Hubby had oatmeal and the kids and I had cold cereal.
Lunch: Mr Q went out to eat for lunch. The kids ate wontons (filled with creme cheese) and apple slices. I had a ranch chicken flatbread sandwich. (Okay, I know I didn't stick to the lunch meal plan. Our neighbor brought over a bag of frozen goods that didn't fit in her freezer. It was from Schwann's! So I took advantage because I am eager to try out the stuff (read: too tired and lazy to cook lunch)!)
Dinner: Potato skins! Yummy! We all like these, but I think I will do them with red potatoes next time. We are red potatoe fanatics! The kids thought they were giant potato chips:)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
How Did The Meal Plan Go: Day Three
Day 3::
Breakfast: Mr. Q made scrambled eggs for the kids and himself, I slept in.
Lunch: Kids had PB&J as well as a vanilla peanut butter pudding shake. (My simple solution for running out of bananas!) Hubby went to a memorial service and skipped lunch. I had a sandwich and a shake :)
Dinner: Another memorial service but this time at church. There was lots of yummy food there. Came home and finished it off with Cranberry Apple Cobbler.
Got some more FREE french bread from Albertsons, so I will be making spaghetti tomorrow. (Why else is there a reason to make spaghetti but as an excuse to have garlic bread?) My noodles are already cooked so I just have to whip up the sauce. It will be a nice filling, easy Sunday lunch!
Breakfast: Mr. Q made scrambled eggs for the kids and himself, I slept in.
Lunch: Kids had PB&J as well as a vanilla peanut butter pudding shake. (My simple solution for running out of bananas!) Hubby went to a memorial service and skipped lunch. I had a sandwich and a shake :)
Dinner: Another memorial service but this time at church. There was lots of yummy food there. Came home and finished it off with Cranberry Apple Cobbler.
Got some more FREE french bread from Albertsons, so I will be making spaghetti tomorrow. (Why else is there a reason to make spaghetti but as an excuse to have garlic bread?) My noodles are already cooked so I just have to whip up the sauce. It will be a nice filling, easy Sunday lunch!
Friday, November 14, 2008
How Did The Meal Plan Go: Day Two
Day 2::
Breakfast: I made pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes with the leftover pumpkin filling I had from the can. It was a 29-oz can so I still have more leftover! I think I might make some pumpkin muffins...
Lunch: My husband had leftovers consisting of a piece of chuck roast with au jus gravy. I put some french bread in there so he could dip that in it...yum! And for a nice little dessert I made Cranberry Apple Cobbler...he gobbled up the taste test last night...lol!
The kids had leftover pumpkin pancakes because I fell asleep with Miss Precious for a nap! I had been up since 5:45 so I needed it!
Dinner: Sunset Pumpkin Soup was a hit! I made garlic bread to go with it. What a great way to get some really good vegetable down the kiddos (and myself!) :)
As I have been following the meal plan, I find that I am a lot less stressed around dinner time. I just take a peek in the morning to see what we're having for the day and what I might need to prepare ahead of time for the next day. In fact, last night I made the Sunset Pumpkin Soup just because I felt like cooking! (I rarely feel like cooking for the pleasure of it...I usually do it because I don't want my family to starve...lol!) So, this meal planning might just turn me into Suzie Q Homemaker..or just regular Mrs Q Homemaker! :)
Breakfast: I made pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes with the leftover pumpkin filling I had from the can. It was a 29-oz can so I still have more leftover! I think I might make some pumpkin muffins...
Lunch: My husband had leftovers consisting of a piece of chuck roast with au jus gravy. I put some french bread in there so he could dip that in it...yum! And for a nice little dessert I made Cranberry Apple Cobbler...he gobbled up the taste test last night...lol!
The kids had leftover pumpkin pancakes because I fell asleep with Miss Precious for a nap! I had been up since 5:45 so I needed it!
Dinner: Sunset Pumpkin Soup was a hit! I made garlic bread to go with it. What a great way to get some really good vegetable down the kiddos (and myself!) :)
As I have been following the meal plan, I find that I am a lot less stressed around dinner time. I just take a peek in the morning to see what we're having for the day and what I might need to prepare ahead of time for the next day. In fact, last night I made the Sunset Pumpkin Soup just because I felt like cooking! (I rarely feel like cooking for the pleasure of it...I usually do it because I don't want my family to starve...lol!) So, this meal planning might just turn me into Suzie Q Homemaker..or just regular Mrs Q Homemaker! :)
Sunset Pumpkin Soup
(Please excuse the awful lighting and poor photography)
This soup is like eating autumn in a bowl!
It was my first try at this recipe. And it was sooooo delicious! I don't even like pumpkin in anything but pumpkin pie, and I slurped this up! My husband raved about it and my daughter sucked it down eagerly.
The best part is...it is so easy to prepare!
Recipe adapted from Recipezaar
Ingredients:
1 c. chopped onion (I substituted onion powder because the texture of onions grosses me out! I believe I put in probably a tablespoon by the end of it all. Sorry no exact measurement for this one)
1/4 c. margarine or butter
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. paprika
3 c. chicken stock (you can also use vegetable)
1 can pumpkin (14-oz)--(or in my case I had a 29-oz can so I just used half)
If you are using real onions rather than onion powder, start off by sauteing the onions in the butter. Then mix in the flour, salt, pepper, ginger, paprika and garlic. Add a cup of the chicken stock and mix all until smooth texture. Boil until it thickens. Stir in the last two cups of chicken stock and add pumpkin small bits at time. Whisk or stir it until it is smooth and creamy in texture. Let it cook a little longer until it thickens up.
Serve immediately with french bread. Enjoy! Serves approximately four to six.
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You will have leftovers because it is so filling! Freeze the soup that doesn't get eaten so you can enjoy it another day :)
Don't forget to check out the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap for other yummy ideas!
Cranberry Apple Cobbler
I found this recipe on the Bisquick website. It is so delicious and so simple!
Ingredients:
1/3 c. butter or margarine
2 1/2 c. Bisquick mix
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. milk
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 c. chunky applesauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In DEEP (ask me how I found this out...lol) baking pan melt butter in the oven. In a bowl mix the Bisquick, sugar and milk until it becomes a smooth batter. Pour the batter evenly over the butter in the pan. In another bowl, mix the cranberry sauce and applesauce and spoon mixture evenly over the batter. Bake 50-60 minutes or until golden brown on top.
When I first read the recipe, I was thinking why put the batter in first? Doesn't batter go on top? But the batter bubbles up and cooks through to the top....hence the need for a DEEP baking dish. It is sweet without being too sweet and has just enough tang from the cranberry sauce. The recipe also calls for cooking apples thinly sliced but I don't like apples cooked (something about the texture I think) so I left that off.
Serve hot with a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy! Serves approximately four to six people.
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It is a simple but elegant dessert and CHEAP too! I probably spent $5 on the whole thing :)
Ingredients:
1/3 c. butter or margarine
2 1/2 c. Bisquick mix
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. milk
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 c. chunky applesauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In DEEP (ask me how I found this out...lol) baking pan melt butter in the oven. In a bowl mix the Bisquick, sugar and milk until it becomes a smooth batter. Pour the batter evenly over the butter in the pan. In another bowl, mix the cranberry sauce and applesauce and spoon mixture evenly over the batter. Bake 50-60 minutes or until golden brown on top.
When I first read the recipe, I was thinking why put the batter in first? Doesn't batter go on top? But the batter bubbles up and cooks through to the top....hence the need for a DEEP baking dish. It is sweet without being too sweet and has just enough tang from the cranberry sauce. The recipe also calls for cooking apples thinly sliced but I don't like apples cooked (something about the texture I think) so I left that off.
Serve hot with a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy! Serves approximately four to six people.
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It is a simple but elegant dessert and CHEAP too! I probably spent $5 on the whole thing :)
Thursday, November 13, 2008
How Did The Meal Plan Go: Day One
Day 1::
Breakfast: Well, Miss Precious hasn't been sleeping until LATE (like 2 am) because her sleep schedule got all screwed up when she was sick. Needless to say, I am not popping out of bed at 6am to feed everyone breakfast. Mr. Q had oatmeal and the boys had cold cereal, I forgot to eat until lunch.
Lunch: I made Mr. Q Tuna Alfredo with Garlic Bread (I make his lunch so he can eat it at work) and the kids and I had sandwiches.
Dinner: The Zesty Bean Quesadillas were squishy and I didn't like the texture much. Neither did much of anyone else. We won't be making these again.
So far so good. Tomorrow is a new item for dinner...we'll see how well the kids like it. And I am going to serve it with garlic bread because I am in LOVE with garlic bread! And because the bread was FREE from Albertsons! :)
Breakfast: Well, Miss Precious hasn't been sleeping until LATE (like 2 am) because her sleep schedule got all screwed up when she was sick. Needless to say, I am not popping out of bed at 6am to feed everyone breakfast. Mr. Q had oatmeal and the boys had cold cereal, I forgot to eat until lunch.
Lunch: I made Mr. Q Tuna Alfredo with Garlic Bread (I make his lunch so he can eat it at work) and the kids and I had sandwiches.
Dinner: The Zesty Bean Quesadillas were squishy and I didn't like the texture much. Neither did much of anyone else. We won't be making these again.
So far so good. Tomorrow is a new item for dinner...we'll see how well the kids like it. And I am going to serve it with garlic bread because I am in LOVE with garlic bread! And because the bread was FREE from Albertsons! :)
Recipes Forthcoming...
Wow. I thought that what we had for dinner was just hum-drum until you all starting clamoring for recipes! Now I feel somewhat like a culinary celebrity...lol!
(Just let me revel in that for a minute even if it was only two of you who have actually asked for recipes!)
As I am NOT the Meal Planner, I won't be posting recipes and photos for each meal. I will try to remember to photograph some of my meals though. (And when I say try, I mean it. Often there are other more pertinent things cluttering up my brain while I am cooking!)
As a teaser though, Elizabeth requested "Oven Quesadillas"...
Ingredients:
Flour tortilla
Cheese (We like to use the Mexican blend but right now we just have Cheddar)
Black beans
Sprinkle cheese on flour tortilla and add a smattering of black beans. Put on a cooking sheet (don't forget to put foil down so you don't have to spend hours scraping cooked on cheese off of the cooking sheet!) and pop in the oven, 400 degrees, for about ten minutes. Or until you see the tortilla start to bubble and crisp.
Remove from oven when done cooking and cut into pizza wedges. Serve with favorite sauce, avocados, pico de gallo, etc. We love to save the hot sauce packets from Taco Bell and drizzle that on top.
Enjoy! Makes a great snack too :)
(Just let me revel in that for a minute even if it was only two of you who have actually asked for recipes!)
As I am NOT the Meal Planner, I won't be posting recipes and photos for each meal. I will try to remember to photograph some of my meals though. (And when I say try, I mean it. Often there are other more pertinent things cluttering up my brain while I am cooking!)
As a teaser though, Elizabeth requested "Oven Quesadillas"...
Ingredients:
Flour tortilla
Cheese (We like to use the Mexican blend but right now we just have Cheddar)
Black beans
Sprinkle cheese on flour tortilla and add a smattering of black beans. Put on a cooking sheet (don't forget to put foil down so you don't have to spend hours scraping cooked on cheese off of the cooking sheet!) and pop in the oven, 400 degrees, for about ten minutes. Or until you see the tortilla start to bubble and crisp.
Remove from oven when done cooking and cut into pizza wedges. Serve with favorite sauce, avocados, pico de gallo, etc. We love to save the hot sauce packets from Taco Bell and drizzle that on top.
Enjoy! Makes a great snack too :)
Okay I Know It's A Little Late....
After reading Meal Planning 101, I have been challenged (yet once again) to create a meal plan and STICK TO IT! So here goes...
Yes, I realize the week is almost over. But, today was payday so I did all my grocery shopping tonight. I am over-budget by $3.07...which I consider amazing considering all of the extra food and medicine we bought when the plague visited our house!
Here is what we will be eating for the next two weeks...there will be a lot of potato and chicken recipes...
Day 1::
Breakfast: Oatmeal Bake
Lunch: PB&J Sandwiches with Apple Slices
Dinner: Zesty Bean Quesadillas, Mexican Rice
Day 2::
Breakfast: Cold Cereal
Lunch: Black Bean and Rice Burritos
Dinner: Sunset Pumpkin Soup with French Bread
Day 3::
Breakfast: Blueberry Muffins
Lunch: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Tomato Soup
Dinner: Spaghetti with Homemade Sauce, Garlic Bread, Salad
Day 4::
Breakfast: Banana Peanut Butter Shakes
Lunch: Lunchmeat Sandwiches, Bananas
Dinner: Spicy Peanut Chicken with Rice
Day 5::
Breakfast: Oatmeal Bake
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Perogies
Day 6::
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: Fried Potatoes and Cheese
Dinner: Soy Sauce Glazed Chicken with Fried Rice
Day 7::
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: Fried Egg Sandwiches
Dinner: Hotdogs, Homestyle Fries
Day 8::
Breakfast: Blueberry Muffins
Lunch: Southwestern Chicken Casserole
Dinner: Ranch Chicken over Greens, Garlic Bread
Day 9::
Breakfast: Oatmeal Bake
Lunch: Lunchmeat Sandwiches, Apples
Dinner: Going to my parents house, will probably bring a dessert dish...
Day 10::
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Baked Potatoes
Day 11::
Breakfast: Cold Cereal
Lunch: Tuna on Crackers, Raisins
Dinner: Roasted Tomato Soup with Biscuits
Day 12::
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: Oven Quesadillas
Dinner: Potato Skins, Fruit Salad
Day 13::
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese
Lunch: Sandwich Wraps, Bananas
Dinner: Black Beans and Rice
Day 14:
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: Hardboiled Eggs, Fruit
Dinner: Going to friends' house for dinner...bringing dessert.
Whew! Okay, I haven't (up until this point) successfully planned TWO WEEKS in advance! Yay for me...lol!
Now I just have to follow what I have put up, and also hope that I haven't overestimated how much chicken I really have ;)
Yes, I realize the week is almost over. But, today was payday so I did all my grocery shopping tonight. I am over-budget by $3.07...which I consider amazing considering all of the extra food and medicine we bought when the plague visited our house!
Here is what we will be eating for the next two weeks...there will be a lot of potato and chicken recipes...
Day 1::
Breakfast: Oatmeal Bake
Lunch: PB&J Sandwiches with Apple Slices
Dinner: Zesty Bean Quesadillas, Mexican Rice
Day 2::
Breakfast: Cold Cereal
Lunch: Black Bean and Rice Burritos
Dinner: Sunset Pumpkin Soup with French Bread
Day 3::
Breakfast: Blueberry Muffins
Lunch: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Tomato Soup
Dinner: Spaghetti with Homemade Sauce, Garlic Bread, Salad
Day 4::
Breakfast: Banana Peanut Butter Shakes
Lunch: Lunchmeat Sandwiches, Bananas
Dinner: Spicy Peanut Chicken with Rice
Day 5::
Breakfast: Oatmeal Bake
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Perogies
Day 6::
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: Fried Potatoes and Cheese
Dinner: Soy Sauce Glazed Chicken with Fried Rice
Day 7::
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: Fried Egg Sandwiches
Dinner: Hotdogs, Homestyle Fries
Day 8::
Breakfast: Blueberry Muffins
Lunch: Southwestern Chicken Casserole
Dinner: Ranch Chicken over Greens, Garlic Bread
Day 9::
Breakfast: Oatmeal Bake
Lunch: Lunchmeat Sandwiches, Apples
Dinner: Going to my parents house, will probably bring a dessert dish...
Day 10::
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Baked Potatoes
Day 11::
Breakfast: Cold Cereal
Lunch: Tuna on Crackers, Raisins
Dinner: Roasted Tomato Soup with Biscuits
Day 12::
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: Oven Quesadillas
Dinner: Potato Skins, Fruit Salad
Day 13::
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Cheese
Lunch: Sandwich Wraps, Bananas
Dinner: Black Beans and Rice
Day 14:
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: Hardboiled Eggs, Fruit
Dinner: Going to friends' house for dinner...bringing dessert.
Whew! Okay, I haven't (up until this point) successfully planned TWO WEEKS in advance! Yay for me...lol!
Now I just have to follow what I have put up, and also hope that I haven't overestimated how much chicken I really have ;)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Sweet and Sour Chicken with Asian Vegetables
This dish brings me back to my childhood. As a family, we would go visit this hole in the wall Chinese restaurant called Kwang Chow. They may have not had the spiffiest exterior, but the service and food were excellent. Alas, I live too far away to eat there anymore, so I set about trying to find a sweet and sour sauce recipe that fit the bill. Nothing I have found is comparable to that tangy/sweet liquid. But I did find a sauce that is delicious in its own class.
This sauce is for those of you who like sweet and sour but can't stand the pineapple and peppers! :) (I cannot remember where I got it, but I think it was www.recipezaar.com)
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Ingredients:
Chicken (again, use however much you will need for your family)
Asian vegetable mix (mine was a steal for $1 at Albertsons!)
Homemade sweet and sour sauce:
2 T. cornstarch
1 c. brown sugar plus 1 1/2 T. brown sugar
1 c. water
1/8 c. vinegar
1/4 c. ketchup
1/8-1/4 t. soy sauce
For the sauce, mix all ingredients together well and cook until sauce starts to thicken, about 5-7 minutes on medium heat. Your sauce will start to bubble up in dark patches, this is okay, it is starting to carmelize into that wonderful delicious blend of flavors! Wait until most of it has been turned darker. Stir often to prevent burning. Once most of it is a darker shade, remove it from heat and let it sit and thicken some more.
Cook up your chicken. For some color, I like to add a bit paprika.
Steam your veggies until they turn a delicious shade of vibrant green.
Don't forget your rice..cook according to directions on the box or bag. If you want my secret ingredient for rice cooking, just look back here.
Combine all ingredients on your plate, drizzle liberally with the sauce and enjoy!
(I have no idea how much sauce this makes, but it is never enough for my family. This recipe is already doubled. For bigger families you might want to quadruple to ensure everyone gets a big serving of sauce on their plate!)
For zingier sauce you can up the level of vinegar. For sweeter, decrease the level of vinegar.
One thing I really enjoy about this meal is it is so fast to put together. I think total I spent maybe 25 minutes preparing my entire dish, from start to finish. And the results are so satisfying!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Chicken With Sweet Red Chili Sauce Glaze on Rice
Okay, so here is where I bare my culinary soul and severe lack of cooking skill...lol!
Ingredients:
Chicken, boneless/skinless, diced (I have no idea how much...use an amount you think will be adequate for your family's hungry mouths)
Sweet red chili sauce (I just bought a bottle of it at the store. I found it in the Oriental cooking section)
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Black pepper
Rice
Chicken bouillon
For really mouth-satisfying flavor marinate your chicken in the sweet red chili sauce overnight.
Heat the frying pan over medium heat and put a little oil in it to keep the chicken from sticking and burning. Dump the chicken in and cook until almost done (10 minutes?), while it is cooking sprinkle with onion and garlic powder (disburse according to penchant for that particular seasoning, I LOVE garlic so I pile it on!). When the chicken doesn't look pink anymore, dump a bit of the sweet red chili sauce on. Again, amounts are at your discretion. If you like it with a bit of zing, pile more on. Less, for those with the more sensitive taste buds out there. Sprinkle pepper on to taste.
While chicken is cooking prepare your rice. I use plain old long-grain rice. So according to the directions on the package 1 cup water to 1 cup rice. Boil water and add rice. Now here is the secret ingredient for really yummy white rice....add a half of chicken bouillon cube to the water as it boils. As the rice cooks it will soak up that delicious flavor and you will never have bland rice again! I cannot take credit for this tip, I got it from my mom :)
Okay, so your chicken has been sizzling away for a while now. Be sure to turn it to promote even cooking. The chili sauce should be thickening a bit by now. Let it cook over a lower heat so it starts to turn into a glaze for the chicken.
When it looks done to you, dump the glazed chicken over your rice.
Enjoy with vegetable of your choice. You could even add a stirfry veggie mix to to the pan and let it soak up the red chili sauce too!
Ingredients:
Chicken, boneless/skinless, diced (I have no idea how much...use an amount you think will be adequate for your family's hungry mouths)
Sweet red chili sauce (I just bought a bottle of it at the store. I found it in the Oriental cooking section)
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Black pepper
Rice
Chicken bouillon
For really mouth-satisfying flavor marinate your chicken in the sweet red chili sauce overnight.
Heat the frying pan over medium heat and put a little oil in it to keep the chicken from sticking and burning. Dump the chicken in and cook until almost done (10 minutes?), while it is cooking sprinkle with onion and garlic powder (disburse according to penchant for that particular seasoning, I LOVE garlic so I pile it on!). When the chicken doesn't look pink anymore, dump a bit of the sweet red chili sauce on. Again, amounts are at your discretion. If you like it with a bit of zing, pile more on. Less, for those with the more sensitive taste buds out there. Sprinkle pepper on to taste.
While chicken is cooking prepare your rice. I use plain old long-grain rice. So according to the directions on the package 1 cup water to 1 cup rice. Boil water and add rice. Now here is the secret ingredient for really yummy white rice....add a half of chicken bouillon cube to the water as it boils. As the rice cooks it will soak up that delicious flavor and you will never have bland rice again! I cannot take credit for this tip, I got it from my mom :)
Okay, so your chicken has been sizzling away for a while now. Be sure to turn it to promote even cooking. The chili sauce should be thickening a bit by now. Let it cook over a lower heat so it starts to turn into a glaze for the chicken.
When it looks done to you, dump the glazed chicken over your rice.
Enjoy with vegetable of your choice. You could even add a stirfry veggie mix to to the pan and let it soak up the red chili sauce too!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Our Gastronomic Diary for the Week
The illustrious and industrious Meal Planner, has persuaded me to post what my family eats in a week. As breakfast and lunch aren't anything special and are pretty haphazardly created, dinner will be the only meal I share here.
I have no idea what each meals costs, maybe that will be something I try out after I get meal planning down pat. And most of these dishes have no recipes. I usually just throw stuff together. Because I am so creative (read: short on time and lacking in a lengthy attention span for recipes with a large number of ingredients and steps to follow.) and I follow the FBTSOYP method of cooking. (That's Fly By The Seat Of Your Pants to all you gourmet chefs out there!) Or is that more like Iron Chef?
Whatever it is, I try to create dinners that don't go over like a lead balloon...lol! This can be an exercise in extreme creativity and patience as I have picky eaters.
I am not a vegetable fan. However, I do try to incorporate vegetables into our diet. This usually takes the form of salad, broccoli, corn, tomatoes, and black beans. Yes, we are a diverse palate over here in the FITPH household...lol. I imagine that the people who dreamed up the Food Pyramid would be appalled, but it works for us. We eat a lot of fruit to compensate.
We also don't do desserts. There is no money-saving rationale behind this, just laziness. After I have prepared dinner, all I want to do is relax. Perhaps if I were a tad more organized (something my husband tells me a lot....and he is) I could get the meal AND the dessert done at the same time. Something to try!
(And because I have been so sleep deprived as of late, I will just be telling you what we had for dinner, but not what day we ate it because all the days meld into one zombie-esque blur!)
Chicken with Sweet Red Chili Sauce Glaze on Rice
Shredded Beef Tacos with Black Beans
Chicken Quesadillas with Black Beans
Fried Potatoes and Cheese
Creamy Chicken Cheese Rice with Salad
All right, my memory is a bit fuzzier than I thought. I can't remember what we ate for the remaining two days of the week. My guess, with the way things were going this week, would be some sort of sandwich and probably scrambled eggs with cheese for the other day.
And unlike the Meal Planner, I don't have yummy looking photos of my dinner fare. Too busy taking care of my sick little baby for that.
So there it is in all its simple glory...our unadorned, un-gourmet and mostly Hispanic meal plan :)
I have no idea what each meals costs, maybe that will be something I try out after I get meal planning down pat. And most of these dishes have no recipes. I usually just throw stuff together. Because I am so creative (read: short on time and lacking in a lengthy attention span for recipes with a large number of ingredients and steps to follow.) and I follow the FBTSOYP method of cooking. (That's Fly By The Seat Of Your Pants to all you gourmet chefs out there!) Or is that more like Iron Chef?
Whatever it is, I try to create dinners that don't go over like a lead balloon...lol! This can be an exercise in extreme creativity and patience as I have picky eaters.
I am not a vegetable fan. However, I do try to incorporate vegetables into our diet. This usually takes the form of salad, broccoli, corn, tomatoes, and black beans. Yes, we are a diverse palate over here in the FITPH household...lol. I imagine that the people who dreamed up the Food Pyramid would be appalled, but it works for us. We eat a lot of fruit to compensate.
We also don't do desserts. There is no money-saving rationale behind this, just laziness. After I have prepared dinner, all I want to do is relax. Perhaps if I were a tad more organized (something my husband tells me a lot....and he is) I could get the meal AND the dessert done at the same time. Something to try!
(And because I have been so sleep deprived as of late, I will just be telling you what we had for dinner, but not what day we ate it because all the days meld into one zombie-esque blur!)
Chicken with Sweet Red Chili Sauce Glaze on Rice
Shredded Beef Tacos with Black Beans
Chicken Quesadillas with Black Beans
Fried Potatoes and Cheese
Creamy Chicken Cheese Rice with Salad
All right, my memory is a bit fuzzier than I thought. I can't remember what we ate for the remaining two days of the week. My guess, with the way things were going this week, would be some sort of sandwich and probably scrambled eggs with cheese for the other day.
And unlike the Meal Planner, I don't have yummy looking photos of my dinner fare. Too busy taking care of my sick little baby for that.
So there it is in all its simple glory...our unadorned, un-gourmet and mostly Hispanic meal plan :)
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