Meal Plan & Prep for 10/22-10/28

-

 What's on the Menu?

This week I am back to my stand-by method of prepping off of Sunday's dinner since we were home for a "big dinner" this week. This made for easy lunches based around leftovers throughout the week. During the week I chose quick-cooking recipes to have dinner on the table within twenty minutes most nights.

Breakfast

For Breakfast this week made a fall inspired baked oatmeal using this recipe as a base. To it I added two sliced apples, nutmeg, cloves, walnuts, and a sprinkle of maple sugar over the top. I halved this recipe to make four portions.

We also have protein granola bars and cereal available.

Lunches

Lunches are typically either dinner leftovers or a meal specifically prepped for lunches. 

This week I am using the leftovers from Sunday's "big" dinner of Mac & Cheese to prep four lunches: two Mac & Cheese with pulled pork, and two with steak. Additionally I put together one meal of pulled pork sandwiches using buns in the freezer that needed using. Days that I work from home I will put together lunches from other dinner leftovers.

For snacks, we have grape and blackberry cups.

On Thursday nights I often volunteer at a local teen center making dinner. I brought home some baked chicken, pasta, and salad that I was offered, I used this for Friday's lunches and part of Thursday's dinner.

Note, the left six containers are the Pyrex 3 cup dishes, they work great for lunches!

Prepped Lunches, "Planned Overs," & Baked Oatmeal

Dinners

Saturday: The remaining Pesto Chicken and Creamy Beef and Shells Leftovers

Sunday: Steak & Shrimp with Mac & Cheese and Green Beans

    Meal Prep: 2 lunches of Steak, Mac & Cheese, and Green Beans

                    2 lunches of BBQ Pork and Mac & Cheese

                    1 lunch of Pulled Pork Sandwiches

                    "Apple Crisp" Baked Oatmeal

                    Grapes & Blackberries  

Grapes & Blackberries

Monday: Lemon Chicken w/ Rice, Salad, Green Beans & Rolls

Lemon Chicken with Rice & Veg

Tuesday: Texas Roadhouse for Dinner

Wednesday: Leftover Shrimp & Steak w/ Rice & Salads & Rolls

Meal Prep: More Grapes & Blackberries for the rest of the week

Thursday: Lemon Chicken w/ Pasta & Broccoli

    Meal Prep: 2 Lunches of Chicken w/ Pasta & Broccoli or Salad

Friday: Not sure yet, possibly tacos or spaghetti?


Other Kitchen Happenings

This week I made enchilada sauce with the last of the garden tomatoes, sweet peppers, and hot peppers. I roasted all of these with some onion and garlic, and then blended with cumin, chili powder, salt, lemon juice, and a touch of hot sauce into a slightly-chunky yellow enchilada sauce (we had a mix of tomato and pepper colors). 

Seven Servings of Garden Enchilada Sauce!

Typically I would try to can something like this, but decided to freeze in two cup portions as I had already put all my canning equipment away. This will be a great addition to burritos, Mexican dishes, and enchiladas throughout the winter.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Currently Crafting... DMC "Roses" Cross-Stitch

-
Image
 This past week I decided to ignore my various in-progress creations and start on this small DMC cross-stitch kit, titled "Roses." Even though I've been cross-stitching for years and have a large collection of patterns and floss, kits like these are still my favorite to make - probably because the planning piece is done for me. This is my first progress shot, this was after two sittings, maybe about two hours of work? These flowers have a lot of short color runs, so it takes more time to switch colors than actually stitch I find. Last night I moved on to the second (top) flower, which took about an hour to stitch. I have a few spots left on the large lower flower that I will return to, as they only require short pieces of floss. I plan to move on to the leaves next, as they are longer runs of color and provide a nice break from fiddly color changes. Here is a picture of what the completed item will look like from DMC's website, for perspective. I will probably finish
Read more

Why a Blog?

-
Image
So, why a blog? A few reasons really. Sit tight. Probably the most obvious, especially if we've met in "real-life," is that I like talking about food - shopping, recipes, whose got the best deal, my favorite store (Market Basket if you were wondering), etc. Many friends have asked for tips on lowering their food budget, so I thought, why not put all those tips in one place? Plus, I'd like to capture ideas and recipes for myself in a fun curated manner. Next - surprise surprise - I like reading food blogs. I follow a multitude of food bloggers who cover everything from baking, budget meals, canning/preserving, frugal living, and cooking for two. Over the years I've taken inspiration from these bloggers, tested their recipes, tried out their tips, and followed their lives and blogging journey. I feel that for a long time this has been a one-sided relationship, and that since I enjoy the content and effort others have put out their, maybe I should contribute my own i
Read more

Currently Crafting - DMC Roses Complete (mostly....)

-
Image
 This past week I finished my DMC Roses Cross Stitch kit. I still need to iron the piece and frame it, likely in the hoop, which is probably my least favorite part of the process. I typically use felt to cover the back of the hoop, so I will need to pick some up the next time I'm out. Overall I was super happy with this DMC kit, they provided plenty of floss to complete the project, which is not always the case. After I completed the Roses kit, I was itching to start on something else. So I pulled out this Dimensions 'Meow' kit that I received as a gift last Christmas. This sweet cat cross stitch looks a lot like Grayson, and I might make a second with Ebisu's colors. I have completed a few dimensions kits in the past, and I find they often run a bit short on the floss they provide, so I am trying to plan out my stitching to ensure I being efficient with each strand. Unfortunately you can see in the lower left section of the photo that the hoop has splintered slightly.
Read more