Menu Plan: Bountiful Baskets Ideas

This week in our Bountiful Basket, we received (as you can see) pears, apples, oranges, bananas, a pineapple, two lemons, romaine lettuce, broccoli, eggplant, mushrooms, corn on the cob, two bunches of celery, and asparagus. I also ordered organic nine-grain bread.

In what seems like perfect timing, a friend of mine told me about and let me borrow her Colorado Collage cookbook. It's wonderful! There are so many unique recipes, using ingredients that you'll find from time to time in your Bountiful Basket (like fresh mint) or any grocery store. Here are a few new ideas from the cookbook using the asparagus, eggplant, and limes and mint I still need to use up:

• Roasted eggplant soup
• Chilled asparagus soup
• Chilled minted pea soup (uses limes and mint)

Other recipes to try from this cookbook this week or next:

• Spiced Pear muffins
• Baked pears
• Oatmeal banana waffles

There are over 300 pages in this cookbook. I ordered one used on Amazon and am really excited to receive my own copy!

In other news, yesterday I made egg rolls using the recipe a good friend from church gave me. I used the cabbage I had leftover, along with the some of the 25 pound bag of carrots I bought last time, water chestnuts, green pepper, green onion, and ground beef.  I plan to do a tutorial post sometime this week on how to make egg rolls. They were yummy! (Leftover filling made great fried rice tonight).

Last week, I ordered a box of apples. I plan to make applesauce this week, and an apple pie or apple crisp. We juiced a few before our juicer stopped working in the middle of juicing. The juice was delicious! Tasted like cider. (We have/had this juicer: Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus 850-Watt Juicing Machine)

Breakfasts:

• Oatmeal, grapefruit
• Applesauce bread, yogurt (maybe smoothies) 
• Scrambled eggs, toast, pineapple
• Spiced pear muffins, yogurt, granola
• Coco-Wheats (the boys always ask for this on Fridays) with a spoonful of peanut butter swirled in
• Banana Oatmeal waffles
• Pancakes, freshly squeezed orange juice (or if we can get our juicer working...)

Lunches:

• Chicken strips, applesauce, broccoli, carrots, celery and ranch dip
• Carrot soup, breadsticks from Master mix
• Broccoli-cheese quiche, carrot sticks
• Bow-tie pasta carbonara (using bacon and asparagus), salad
• Chili, cornbread
• Roasted eggplant soup, or one of the others from the list above
• Dinner leftovers

Dinners:

• Steak (probably pan-seared, since using the broiler smoked up the whole house last time)
• sauteed mushrooms, corn on the cob, salad, maybe baked pears for dessert
• Coconut shrimp with pineapple dipping sauce, Ginger lime carrots, strawberry cake or cupcakes with buttercream frosting
• Sloppy joes, oven fries, orange wedges
• Enchiladas, salad, pineapple
• Tilapia with asparagus gremolata, tossed salad with lime vinaigrette, homemade applesauce
• Italian shell pasta (with sauteed eggplant)
• possibly eggplant parmigiana (if I can talk the guys around here into eating it)

I still have lots of limes to use up, so here are some snacks and desserts to try, time permitting:
Lime muffins
Lime mousse
Lime bars

What are some of your favorite ways/recipes to use the produce I have on hand right now (pictured above)?

(sharing with Menu Plan Monday)

Menu Plan Monday & After school Snack Ideas

This week, I am trying to plan again from what I have on hand in the freezer/frig and cupboards. I will make a trip to the store to pick up some fresh vegetables and fruit to round out the meals and for snacks. To save on produce, I usually try to shop for fruits and vegetables that are .99 cents per pound (or as close to that as possible). (You can read more about that in this post.)

Apples are in season and on sale for .88 cents per pound right now. Lots of ideas there: applesauce, apple crisp/pie, apple slices of course, baked apples, applesauce bread, apple cake or coffee cake...

Scroll down if you're looking for new after school snack ideas.

Breakfasts:

• Overnight caramel rolls
• Oatmeal, bananas
• Oven baked omelet, toast, grapefruit
• French breakfast puffs, Greek yogurt, granola and honey
• Cold cereal/granola, bananas
• Hot cereal (Cream of Wheat, Coco Wheats), orange juice
• Pancakes

Lunches:

• Stromboli, veggie tray
• Leftovers
• Beefy biscuit casserole (carry over), corn, apple slices
• Sandwiches, carrot and celery sticks
• Cheesy beef and rice, green beans, bread and butter
• Saturday:  leftover pizza and snacks

Dinners:

• Beef tips over noodles, salad, rolls, apple pie
• Cranberry chicken, rice, broccoli
• Hamburgers, fries, tossed salad, jello, maybe chocolate cake for dessert
• Pork roast, acorn squash, Normandy blend vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, yellow squash)
• Homemade Pizza night
• Beef stroganoff, green beans
• Roast chicken, butternut squash with butter and brown sugar, brussel sprouts

 I would also like to share some great, healthy ideas for after school/late afternoon snacks.

• Peanut butter baked oatmeal (tastes like a soft granola)--my kids eat the entire 9x13 pan in a few hours
• Lazy Granola
• Cranberry-apricot granola bars (using homemade granola recipe above)
• Apricot-oatmeal cookies
• Applesauce bread (could also do in a bundt pan) (make your own applesauce using all the yummy apples in season and on sale now!)
• Ranger cookies (whole wheat flour, coconut, Craisins, oats)
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Ants-on-a-log (or celery with strawberry cream cheese)
• Graham crackers with strawberry cream cheese
• Fruit slices with or without dip
• Veggies and dip
• Wholegrain Crackers and cheese
• Almonds/walnuts/pistachios (for children old enough), apple slices, cheese cubes
• Whole-grain muffins, plus lots of other ideas in this post

What are some of your favorite after school snacks?

Be sure to visit Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com for more menu planning ideas!

Menu Plan Monday

This weekend, I browsed through a copy of Colorado Colore: A Palate of Tastes (Celebrating Twenty Five Years of Culinary Artistry)

What a fabulous cookbook! Many creative and gourmet ideas (plus some easier fare).  This, like the other Colorado cookbooks put out by the Junior League of Denver (Colorado Cache Cookbook, Creme De Colorado Cookbook (Celebrating Twenty Five Years of Culinary Artistry) and Colorado Collagefeature truly unique recipes.

Here's a few from Colorado Colore that I'll be making this week:
Curry pumpkin soup
Balsamic glazed beets (with maple syrup)
Rosemary Chicken in herb vinaigrette
Twice-baked acorn squash
Fruited cranberry scones

Here's what else is on the menu. (Oh, and did I mention I'm going to try to do it all from my freezer and pantry this week).

Breakfasts:

• Apple Oatmeal (cooked with diced apples, in apple juice)
• Pumpkin waffles, milk
• Scrambled eggs, toast
• Granola/cereal, juice
• Cranberry scones, Greek yogurt with honey and granola
• Whole wheat pancakes with chokecherry syrup

Lunches:

• Curry pumpkin soup, french rolls
• Ravioli with spaghetti sauce, salad
• Minestrone, crackers
• Stir fry over rice
• Chicken salad sandwiches, apple slices
• Leftovers

Dinners:

• Beef stew from leftover Sunday roast, applesauce, homemade (?) wheat bread (depending on how the day goes)
• Lemon pepper pork roast, balsamic glazed beets, mashed potatoes, leafy green salad
• Beef stroganoff, green beans, fruit of some sort (peaches?)
• Rosemary chicken in herb vinaigrette, twice-baked acorn squash, apple pie (again, on an ideal day)
• Waikiki meatballs over rice, broccoli, grapes (didn't happen last week)
• Cranberry chicken, rice, asparagus
• Tilapia, sweet potato fries, mixed vegetables (another carry-over)

 I would love to do some baking this week. Plus, we have some company coming. I would love to hear how you handle making extra dishes for company. Do you do it all (or most of it) ahead of their arrival? I think that would probably work best. Now, just to get around to it...

Visit Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com for more menu ideas!

Menu Plan Monday

It's always fun to take some time and flip through the assorted recipes I've clipped from magazines through the years. (I keep mine in a large flip-style photo album, with three slots per page, like for 4x6 pictures. Then you can buy index tabs and create categories). So some of the recipes this week come from ideas I came across while flipping through my collection (it seems like you can find lots of lost recipes on cooks.com). Others come from the latest issue of Simple and Delicious magazine. And others are simply old favorites.

Breakfast:

• Oatmeal with coconut flakes and Craisins
• Apple Butter muffins (Better Homes and Gardens, 1990--an oldie! Found pretty much the same recipe at cooks.com, and that is what I'm linking to)
• Spinach and feta cheese omelets (lightly saute spinach in butter or olive oil, with a little onion if desired. Prepare omelets filled with the spinach and some feta cheese).
• Greek yogurt with flaxseed, berries, granola
• Cream of wheat, oranges
• Whole wheat pancakes, orange juice

*A great list of new, heart healthy breakfast ideas can be found here.) (The recipes are on the right side of the page)

Lunches:

• Stovetop Italian Macaroni, rolls
• Garden Tuna Pitas, carrot and celery sticks
• leftovers
• Cheesy Beef and Rice, peas
• Harvest squash and apple soup (another Better Homes and Gardens 1990 find, but this recipe looks about the same), bread and butter
• Beefed-up biscuit casserole, fruit/veggie, jello
• Doesn't this one look yummy to try maybe next week (or when pork tenderloins are on sale?)

Dinners:

• Leftover manicotti
• Pork Roast, Autumn salad, butternut squash, possibly brussel sprouts in butter sauce and possibly apple-walnut crisp
• Waikiki meatballs over rice, grapes, steamed broccoli
• Spaghetti, caesar salad, garlic parmesan bread
• Taco night
• Homemade pizza night (using my Toastmaster  Bread and Butter Maker with the recipe from Toastmaster Corner Bakery Cook Book
• Parmesan tilapia, sweet potato fries (have you tried these yet? I sampled the Ore Ida brand at Sam's and they were yummy!), salad 

See more menu ideas at Menu Plan Monday!

Menu Plan Monday

If you compare this week's menu to last week's, you'll see a few repeats. That doesn't mean we're eating the same thing again, but rather, we didn't get to it last week, so we'll see if it happens this week instead!

Breakfasts:

• Oatmeal with brown sugar, raisins, walnuts and dates; bananas
• Pumpkin waffles (such a great source of B vitamins and yummy!), milk
• Swedish pancakes (like crepes), cottage cheese, raspberries
• Pumpkin-chocolate chip muffins, yogurt
• Coco-wheats with a spoonful of peanut butter stirred in (kids' favorite), orange juice
• Whole-wheat pancakes (I grind my own wheat using a Nutrimill Home Grain Mill), orange juice

Lunches:

• Cheese quesadillas, tomato soup
• Broccoli-cheese quiche (except I make mine altogether in a pie plate, with a pie crust), mandarin oranges
• Beef stroganoff (from dinner leftovers, over rice or noodles, depending on how many noodles are left after dinner)
• Sandwiches, carrot and celery sticks
• Goulash, biscuits
• Dinner leftovers

Dinners:

• Parmesan pork chops, scalloped potatoes, peas
• Beef tips over noodles, applesauce, green beans
• Chili, cornbread, peaches
• Leftovers
• Pork Roast, butternut squash with butter and brown sugar, brussel sprouts
• Homemade pizza night (really easy actually--I make my own dough in my bread machine on the dough cycle, using a recipe in Toastmaster Corner Bakery Cook Book. We received the Toastmaster Bread and Butter Maker as a wedding gift, and I love it! I actually think it was one of the best gifts we received. You can do so much with it.
• Manicotti (less expensive to use cottage cheese than ricotta), spinach and mixed green salad, garlic bread 

Visit Menu Plan Monday, hosted at orgjunkie.com, for more menu planning ideas!

Healthy $10 a Day Menus

I've been in the mood to try out some new cookbooks. "Try before buy" is my motto! (See this post if you love to read but are limited to what you can buy). I checked out several cookbooks from the library--mainly Italian. I'm excited to try a few recipes from them.
Here are the cookbooks I'm trying recipes from this week:

Here's what's on the menu this week (and some tips on how I do it frugally):

Sunday:

• Farmer's Breakfast Casserole, leftover whole-wheat pancakes from Saturday morning
• snacks
• Hot ham and cheese sandwiches, spaghetti squash rewarmed, other leftover cleanup and clean-out

Monday:

• Oatmeal, brown sugar, raisins, bananas
• Broccoli-cheese quiche, toast, fruit
• Citrus Roast chicken from Giada's Family Dinners, carrots, spinach salad (whole chickens were on sale for .88-cents/pound; I stocked up).

Tuesday:

• French breakfast puffs, strawberries, vanilla yogurt
• White chicken chili, using leftover cooked chicken, chips and tortillas
• Taco bar

Wednesday:

• Zucchini bread, milk; spinach and feta cheese omelets
• Bean and cheese burritos (using leftover refried beans from taco night)
• Runzas, fried potatoes, salad

Thursday:

• Cereal (bought on a good sale, with coupons)
• Italian bean soup, homemade breadsticks
• Chicken parmesan over spaghetti, green beans and french bread (make homemade bread crumbs using bread ends; spaghetti sauce hit a rock-bottom price and combined with a coupon, it was about .70 cents; making my own french bread in the bread machine)

Friday:

• Cream of Wheat, juice, fruit
• Corn chowder, fry bread, carrot and celery sticks
• Homemade pizza, salad 

Saturday:

• Whole-wheat pancakes from freshly ground wheat
• leftovers
• Riso alla Pitocca (traditional rice and chicken), probably a big leafy green salad in homemade vinagrette, rolls

For more menu ideas, be sure to visit Menu Plan Monday!

Easy Pre-Baby Menu Plan

Officially one week until baby #4 is "supposed" to make her debut. I am thinking simple meals are on the menu. Yet I also want to have a good kitchen day (or a couple of days) to get some things prepped and ready to go. Here's what I'm thinking:

To make:

• Bran muffins (eat and freeze some--at least that's the plan. Last time, the boys ate them all in a matter of a day--or maybe it was two?).
• Banana bread
• Banana Chocolate-chip muffins
• Granola
• Master baking mix
• Put two whole chickens in the crockpot and shred meat. Use for:
• Chicken Divan (freeze half)
• Mexican chicken casserole (freeze half)
• chicken salad sandwiches (for lunch) and other chicken dinners during the week
• Beans in crockpot, rice, taco-style fixings and tortillas (leftovers into bean and cheese burritos for lunch the next day)

Other dinner recipes:

• Ground beef macaroni casserole
• Skillet ziti with chicken and broccoli
• Homemade pizza, salad
• Maybe try Quicker Chicken and dumplings
• Lemon-pepper Tilapia, red potatoes, green vegetable

Breakfasts and lunches:
The goal is to aim for as easy as possible. Oatmeal, scrambled eggs and toast, cold cereal (it's just that season)...peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, dinner leftovers...
Whole-wheat pancakes on Saturday
Farmer's breakfast casserole on Sunday before church

So what are some of your favorite foods to prep and freeze before a baby?

(linked to Menu Plan Monday)

Menu Plan Monday

It has just been hot around here. But after a week of quasi-cooking, I am finally feeling motivated to create a real menu plan and cook some decent meals (thanks, by the way, for some ideas on what to cook when you don't feel like cooking!).

Monday:
Oatmeal, cantaloupe
Tuna salad sandwiches, carrot, celery sticks
Cheesy beef and rice, green beans

Tuesday:
Swedish pancakes
Berries, cottage cheese
Broccoli-cheese quiche, orange jello
BBQ Chicken drumsticks (crockpot), Cabbage ramen salad, boiled red potatoes

Wednesday:
Granola, bananas
Leftovers
McDonald's with free meal cards from summer reading program

Thursday:
Eggs in a hole, oranges
Chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, apples
Sausage Rigatoni bake (I might try this in the crockpot), salad, Rocky Road brownies

Friday:
Peanut Butter baked oatmeal
Cilantro chicken salad
Grilled chicken marinated in Italian dressing, orange rice, Crunchy romaine strawberry salad

Saturday:
Pancakes
Leftovers
Chicken tortilla casserole, salad, corn

Sunday:
Farmer's breakfast casserole
Sesame chicken, rice, sugar snap peas

(linked to Menu Plan Monday)

Healthy $10 a Day Menus

So it's been awhile since I've last posted a menu plan. Please be assured that I am still feeding my family three meals a day (and plenty of snacks for my boys, who seem to graze all day). :) Here is our menu for the week:

Breakfasts:

• Old-fashioned oatmeal, cooked with vanilla and cinnamon, and with a bit of butter, brown sugar and milk in each bowl
• Cranberry orange scones, yogurt and granola with berries
• Chocolate Malt O' Meal (one of my son's favorite breakfasts)
• Waffles, strawberries
• Eggs and toast, oranges
• Pancakes

Lunches:

• Tuna salad sandwiches, carrot and celery sticks
• Southwest Salad (using leftover chicken in lime butter, shredded; add some corn and black beans; crush tortilla chips over romaine lettuce; top with salsa and ranch dressing mixed together)
• Macaroni and Cheese with my free pasta, carrots and celery sticks
• Dinner leftovers
• Grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apple slices

Dinners:

• Chicken tortellini soup, homemade herb rolls (although this may turn into a cold soup depending on how hot it is outside on the day I make it)
• Chicken in lime butter, orange rice, broccoli
• Bbq ribs in the crockpot, mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes
• Leftover ribs turn into pork bbq sandwiches, oven fries, coleslaw
• Homemade pizza, Caesar salad
• Taco Lasagna, salad, corn

Now that it seems like summer is finally upon us, don't hesitate to use your crock pot to keep your kitchen from heating up too much! I wrote more about that, and about a good source of crock pot recipes, in this post. Have a great Monday!

See more menu planning ideas at orgjunkie.com

Healthy $10 a Day Menus

Here is what's on our menu this week:

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal, grapefruit
Granola, berries
Eggs, toast
Whole-wheat pancakes, orange juice
Cereal, bananas

Lunches:
Usually dinner leftovers
Beef Stew (from roast)
Grilled cheese, tomato soup

Dinners:
Chicken Stir-Fry with Pineapple, Brown Rice
Roast, potatoes, carrots, applesauce
Saucy Drumsticks in the crockpot, broccoli, sweet potatoes
Sour Cream Enchiladas
Homemade pizza, Caesar salad
Zesty sausage penne pasta, salad, french bread

For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com.

Menu Plan Monday

Hope you had a nice weekend! Here's what's on our menu this week:

Breakfasts:
Fried eggs, toast, grapefruit
Bran muffins, cantaloupe, yogurt
Granola and berries
Hot cereal (oatmeal/Malt-O-Meal)
Pancakes
Cereal and bananas

Lunches:
Turkey sandwiches, apples, carrot/celery sticks
Broccoli Cheese Quiche
Dinner leftovers (turned into something slightly different when possible)

Dinners:
(recipes for taco soup and tangy pork chops in Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: 700 Great Slow Cooker Recipes
3 Bean Taco Soup, cornbread
Chicken and Mushroom pasta, salad
Cornbread chicken, Chinese Cabbage salad
Roasted chicken with cauliflower and chickpeas
Homemade pizza
Tangy pork chops, potatoes, coleslaw

Visit Menu Plan Monday for more menu-planning ideas!

Healthy $10 a Day Menus

In reality, I probably need to only plan about 4 or 5 main dishes each week, because we always end up with meals on the menu we haven't gotten to yet. But, to be prepared just in case, I like to plan a main dish for most days of the week. If it doesn't get made, at least I have the ingredients on hand to make it another time.
So here is our menu for the week:

Cream of Wheat
Roast beef sandwiches, apples
Enchiladas, corn, salad

Peanut butter baked oatmeal
Leftover enchiladas, salad
Mexican pork chops, rice

Waffles
Goulash, bread and butter
Cornbread chicken, Chinese cabbage salad, sweet potatoes

Fried eggs, toast
Leftover chicken cut in strips, tomato slices, salad, leftover sweet potatoes
Roasted chicken with chickpeas and cauliflower

Cereal
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples
Homemade pizza, Caesar salad

Pancakes
snacks
Rotini pasta bake, salad, french bread

Oatmeal
Sunday roast with potatoes and carrots, applesauce

Visit orgjunkie.com for Menu Plan Monday.

Healthy $10 a Day Menus

I don't know how it happens, but it seems to happen a lot. Last week, I only made probably half of the dinners on my menu plan. Family came from out-of-town for my son's 4th birthday and took us out to dinner (nice treat!). Leftovers provided an easy dinner one night when my husband was out of town, and I didn't feel like cooking. So a few meals carry over again this week from last week. We'll see how many carry over into next week as well. :)

Monday
Oatmeal, grapefruit
Calico bean salad over brown rice, roma tomatoes
Leftover chili and cornbread, or choice b: leftover tuna oriental over rice

Tuesday
Scrambled eggs, toast, tangelos
Cheese quesadillas, salsa, pears
Oven-fried chicken, baked potatoes, spinach and romaine salad with mandarin oranges and almonds

Wednesday
Cereal, juice, bananas
Red beans and rice (with some hamburger or bacon thrown in)
Crockpot pork chops (Cream of mushroom soup, onion soup packet, a little milk; didn't get made last week), mashed potatoes, green beans

Thursday
Veggie omelets, toast
Tuna salad sandwiches, carrots
Enchiladas, corn, salad (didn't get made last week)

Friday
Cream of wheat
Macaroni soup, bread (This is getting to be a joke, since it's been on my menu several times but I have yet to actually try it!)
Bbq meatballs, oven fries, mixed vegetables

Saturday
Pancakes, eggs, bacon, orange juice
snacks for lunch
Leftovers for dinner

Sunday
Probably leftover pancakes if there are some, or something else that's easy
Roast, potatoes, carrots, applesauce
snacks

Healthy $10 a Day Menus

I love payday--and particularly going to the store after payday! Last week, we were out of our grocery cash, and while I could have gone shopping and put the groceries on the debit card, with the cash envelope system, once the envelope is gone, you're done. So while it was a self-imposed spending fast, we stuck to it. That means I did not make it to the store to pick up the turkey breast on sale for $1.49/pound, and I did not make the turkey meals on last week's menu. We still had plenty of food to eat.

 

What I did not make last week carries into this week. Those items were: beef stew and tuna noodle casserole.

 

Here's the general idea for the week ahead.

 

Monday

• Oatmeal, grapefruit
• Chicken salad sandwiches, pears
• Beef stew, whole wheat bread and honey
• Strawberry shortcake

 

Tuesday

• Middle son's 4th birthday! (He gets to pick the menu today...here's his picks):
• Pancakes (I grind my own whole-wheat flour)
• Hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, some sort of vegetable
• Chocolate cake and ice cream
• Out to dinner with a gift card? Or...
• Sesame chicken (cheating and splurging with a box from Sam's Club), brown rice, Asian-style vegetables, fresh pineapple

Wednesday

• Egg Casserole, toast, more grapefruit if it lasts; otherwise, strawberries
• Turkey sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, apples
• Crockpot pork chops (on sale for $1.97/lb; adding a can of cream of mushroom soup, one can of milk, and a packet of french onion soup mix) and mashed potatoes, green beans

Thursday

• Lemon-poppyseed bread (from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book), milk
• Leftovers
• Chili, cornbread

Friday

• Eggs in a hole
• Tuna noodle casserole, peas, mandarin oranges, rolls
• Enchiladas, corn, salad

Saturday

• Whole-wheat waffles with strawberries and fresh whipped cream
• Informal lunch (snacks/leftovers)
• BBQ chicken, baked potatoes, mixed vegetables

Sunday

• cereal or something quick before church
• Promised the boys I would make them cinnamon rolls (I use my wheat grinder to grind whole wheat flour, so they are somewhat healthier) :) for brunch with fruit and probably scrambled eggs
• BBQ chicken sandwiches, pickles, seasoned potato wedges

 Visit orgjunkie.com for more menu planning ideas!

Healthy $10 a Day Menus

Monday
Oatmeal, pears, juice
Leftover Chicken Divan, rice, mandarin oranges
Spaghetti with meatballs, Caesar salad, garlic bread

Tuesday
Dutch pancakes, applesauce
Baked potato bar
Tortilla Espanola, carrot and celery sticks (anyone know how to get the "~" over the n?)

Wednesday
Fried eggs, grapefruit
Southwest salad
Beef Stew in crockpot, biscuits

Thursday
Peanut butter baked oatmeal
Tuna noodle casserole and peaches
(Alternate: Mac and cheese soup)
Cheesy Beef and rice , salad, cooked carrots

Friday
Blueberry muffins, yogurt, fruit
Leftovers
Spice-Rubbed Turkey Breast with Sweet potatoes (Smith's has turkey breasts on sale for $1.49/lb)

Saturday
Whole wheat pancakes
sandwiches on rolls
Leftover turkey in:
Turkey with Two Salads
Chunky Turkey Vegetable soup

back up meal: Chili, cornbread or Santa fe stew, cornbread

(linked to Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com)

Healthy $10 a Day Menus

We had a new wave of sickness last week, with fevers, stuffy noses, runny noses, and one case of throwing up. So needless to say, many of the meals on last week's plan didn't get made and will carry over into this week now that everyone's on the mend (knock on wood).

Monday
Cream of Wheat, bananas, orange juice
Broccoli Cheddar Quiche, fruit salad
Beef Tips in brown gravy, noodles, salad

Tuesday
Waffles with strawberries and whipped cream
Tomato soup, grilled cheese
Chicken Divan with broccoli over rice

Wednesday
Scrambled eggs, toast
Leftover chicken
Chalupa, corn tortillas, guacamole

Thursday
Oatmeal, pears
Bbq pork sandwiches, pickles, apples
White chili

Friday
Cereal, bananas
Tuna salad sandwiches, carrots and ranch dip
Smoked sausage, baked potatoes, mixed vegetables

Saturday
Cranberry-orange scones
(Make bread and a pan of cinnamon rolls)
Pinto beans, cornbread

Sunday
Beef stew, biscuits

Linked to Menu Plan Monday

Healthy $10 a Day Menus

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Hope you all have a great day!

Here's what's on the menu this week.

Oatmeal, leftover Sunday brunch casserole, grapefruit
Chicken fajitas
Italian chicken over pasta, salad, breadsticks, chocolate cake

Eggs in the hole, oranges
Pasta leftovers
Waikiki meatballs and rice, broccoli

Blueberry muffins, orange juice
Broccoli cheese quiche, fruit salad
Chicken stir-fry

Cream of Wheat
Leftover stir-fry, or turn it into fried rice
Pinto beans, cornbread

Scrambled eggs, toast
Bean and cheese burritos (from last night's pinto beans)
Homemade pizza, salad

Pancakes
Leftover buffet
Chicken veggie casserole, rice

Visit orgjunkie.com for more menu planning ideas!

Healthy $10 a Day Menus

We have one pukey little guy, so depending on how that spreads, we may be in for an interesting week. I made my menu plan before the stomach bug hit, so this may all change. Here's how it stands now.

Monday
Oatmeal, bananas, orange juice
Southwest Salad (yeah...not for the little guy)
Roast Chicken with rosemary, red potatoes, carrots and asparagus (the chicken took longer than anticipated to thaw, so it's on tonight's menu)

TuesdayCoco-Wheats with peanut butter in the bowl, milk, pears
Chicken salad sandwiches, grapes
Roasted Chicken Tacos

WednesdayScrambled eggs, toast, mandarin oranges
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, milk, apples
Tater Tot casserole, mixed vegetables, jello

Thursday
Cereal
Leftover casserole
Pork chops and scalloped potatoes

Friday
Cream of Wheat
Cheese quesadillas
Creamy pasta with peas

Saturday
Pancakes, bacon, orange juice
Leftovers and snacks
Cheeseburgers, baked onion rings

Sunday
Fried eggs, toast, oranges
Super Bowl snacks:
Chili-cheese dip
White chicken chili, tortillas

Healthy $10 a Day Menus

Hope you had a nice weekend! Here's what's on the menu around here this week.

Monday

• Coco-Wheats (kids' favorite, with a teaspoon of peanut butter mixed in their bowls), orange juice
• Carrot Soup - a delicate French soup that is pureed and creamy, with bread and butter (I buy a big bag of carrots from Sam's Club for $1.48. This is a great recipe to use them up. I meant to make this a few weeks ago, but it didn't happen.)
• Zesty Sausage Pasta (didn't make it this weekend), salad, Italian bread

Tuesday

• Scrambled eggs, toast, mandarin oranges
• Pasta leftovers
• Rosemary roasted chicken, red potatoes, asparagus

Wednesday

• English muffins, strawberry banana smoothies
• Chicken salad sandwiches (from leftover roast chicken), grapes
• Beans con Carne (like taco meat) in the crockpot over lettuce with sour cream, cheese, avocado

Thursday

• Oatmeal, orange juice, bananas
• Turn leftover beans con carne into chili, cornbread
• Chicken and noodles, mixed vegetables, busy day chocolate cake

Friday

• Granola
• *Make applesauce bread
• Leftovers
• Homemade Pizza, salad

Saturday

• Whole-wheat pancakes
• Cowboy casserole
• Parmesan-crusted tilapia
• Broccoli, brown rice

Back-up if leftovers don't last:

Macaroni Soup

Healthy $10 a Day Menus

 A little later than usual, the menu plan is ready! I am trying, as much as possible, to work around what we already have in the house, adding only a few things to my grocery list. Here is what we will be eating this week.

Monday
Oatmeal, bananas, orange juice
Goulash (leftover from Sunday night), peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, milk
Spicy Rice, Bean and Cheese casserole, mangoes:

.50 cents for rice
.50 cents for beans (cook half a bag of black beans)
.50 cents for one can diced tomatoes
$1.25 for cheese
approximately.25 cents for onion and garlic
sour cream, lettuce minimal

Tuesday
Overnight Yeast waffles (these have been on the menu in weeks past but have always gotten booted for something else!)
Burritos with leftover beans and rice
Linguini a la Anne (with ham), Caesar Salad

Wednesday
Fried Eggs, toast, oranges
Vegetable beef soup (using leftover goulash; add beef broth and mixed vegetables), biscuits
Roast Chicken, baked yams, Normandy blend vegetables (a big frozen bag from Sam's with broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, yellow squash)

Thursday
Peanut butter baked oatmeal
Chicken salad sandwiches (out of leftover chicken), grapes
Chicken and noodles in the crockpot, peas

Friday
Homemade Cream of Wheat
Carrot soup, rolls
Pizza, salad

Saturday
Pancakes
Leftovers for lunch and snacks
Zesty sausage and pepper pasta (Use pork sausage instead of ground beef, brown, add half a green pepper and half a red pepper, saute lightly, add a jar of your favorite pasta sauce and half a 8-oz. brick of cream cheese; stir to combine and serve over penne pasta, or any pasta), salad

Visit orgjunkie.com for more menu-planning ideas!