Menu Plan Monday - 3/5/12

Purim this week.  I finished our gift packages.  Hopefully, they will be out to the post office this morning.  So glad to have all that baking done.  Right now there are plenty of leftovers, but we'll see if they make it to Wednesday/Thursday!  I might have to hide some Hamantaschen in the freezer!  I will try to post some pictures of the packages later.  The cake mix hamantaschen came out great, too!  I figured out how to make them parve this year to put them in the packages.

Monday - Chicken Pot Pie (Actually Bott Boi)  with noodles.

Tuesday - Pasta night.

Wednesday - Fish Tacos, avocado, salsa

Thursday - Stuffed Shells with spinach (Miss D's request)

Friday - Spaghetti and meatballs, Challah, salad

Looking for more recipes, please check out MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - 2/27/12

Oh, boy.  No real menu plan last week.  School was off for Winter Break, so we didn't have much of a plan.  Thankfully the weather was nice and warming up.  Spring allergies have started here.  I need to start planning (and baking) for Purim packages.  Here's a peek from last year.  I know we will be making the traditional ones, but the funfetti ones were such a hit I really feel like making them, too!  Perhaps I need to make an inventory of the baking supplies I have (oh, dear that's a job).  But before all of that, I need to make strawberry jam.  The Florida strawberries are rolling in to the stores now, which means soon enough our local u-pick farm will open.  Yeah, Spring is arriving!!!

Menu Plan:

Monday -   Chicken Continental with rice and sauteed spinach.

Tuesday -   Pasta night, veggies and dip.

Wednesday - Orange Beef, stir-veggies

Thursday - Homemade pizza

Friday - Baked tilapia, challah, not sure what else.

For more menu ideas, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - 2/13/12

Menu Plan Monday

Missed last week to post the menu.  The kids and hubby came down with a cold last weekend.  Everyone is on the mend now, but it was a slow start to the week.  This weekend the weather was blustery and cold.  We've been fueling up on citrus fruit and comfort foods.  I made some broccoli cheese soup in homemade bread bowls that was super yummy.  And I made the always popular spaghetti and meatballs on the weekend.  Looking forward to milder weather by the end of the week.  I am so done with winter already!

 
Monday - A BIG batch of chili.  Homemade french bread.

Tuesday - Heart-Shaped Pizza I think this is becoming a tradition.  We've definitely had this the past few years, and was requested again this year.

Coeur a la Creme With Strawberries

I'm keeping the dessert a bit easier than last year.  If you would like to check out last year's V-day dessert: Heart Cake inspired by iambaker.  It was incredible, but a bit time-consuming.


Wednesday - Baked Chicken "tenders" with asparagus

Thursday - Pasta -

Friday - Roasted Chicken, Challah, carrots

Looking for more menu ideas, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - 1/30/12

Menu Plan Monday -

Keeping this short today.  Added a few recipes this weekend: one for Honeybell Orange Marmalade and one for Golden Raisin Biscuit Cookies. 

Honeybell Orange Marmalade

Golden Raisin Biscuit Cookies

Monday - Turkey Tacos (with frozen shredded turkey meat), avocado

Tuesday - Baked Pasta Casserole.  Similar to this one, minus the meat and I will "bake" it in the Crock-pot on low for 2-3 hours.

Wednesday -   Orange Chicken with stir fry veggies.  Made a double batch of the orange glaze from the great Honeybell oranges so I have some for another time!


Thursday - Pizza Night!

Friday - Grilled Fish (weather permitting),veggies, Challah

Weekend - still planning the Super Bowl menu...stay tuned...


Looking for more menu ideas, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - 1/23/12

Menu Plan Monday -

Where does the week go?  I really did mean to post more recipes last week.  Clearly, did not happen.  I did make some time during this rainy weekend to do some cross-stitch.  I have two projects that I keep switching between and they both seem to be on the 10-year plan at this point.  I really do miss it.  I'm hoping to work that back in to my daily schedule...somewhere.

Sunday - For all the football watching around here:  Pretzel Dogs

I took a new picture.  Hopefully, this one doesn't look as "done" as the other one.  I may actually go back and revise the recipe a bit.  I baked these just a touch under 12 minutes (more like 11:30).  The pan of extra dough, with regular pretzels, needed the full 12.  Anyway, they were a hit as always.  It's always good when Publix has Hebrew National on sale!  :)

Monday - Meatloaf.  I just realized I need to take a picture of this. (mental note) Oven roasted potato fries, broccoli 

Tuesday - dance night - Crock Pot Baked Ravioli Casserole, crudite.  No picture of that one either...hmmm.

Wednesday - Leftovers.

Thursday - Homemade Pizza (did not make last week, we just ate lasagna leftovers).  Maybe if the weather holds, I'll get outside to grill the pizza...yum!

Friday - Polish Noodles with turkey sausage, Challah

If you are looking for more recipe ideas, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - 1/16/12

Menu Plan Monday -

Long weekend here due to the MLK holiday.  Much different than last year when we were just starting to recover from the "blizzard".  Right now I have two crock-pots going cooking beans (Northern White and Black).  Hoping to make a big batch of veggie chili this week.  The Boca crumbles were on sale at Publix and we stocked up!

Monday - Spinach Lasagna

Tuesday - Beef Tacos (in the crock-pot), avocados, salsa, salad

Wednesday - Chicken Meatballs, quinoa with raisins and almonds, broccoli.  The chicken meatballs I make are similar to this Barefoot Contessa recipe.  I omit the cheeses and use either water of chicken broth for the milk.  If I have any leftover, I can plunk them into some chicken soup later...yum.

Thursday - Homemade Pizza and crudite

Friday - Roasted Chicken and veggies, Challah

Looking for more menu ideas, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - 1/9/12

Menu Plan Monday -

Well, the cold snap has moved on (for now, that is) and has left us with a mild and rainy weekend.  Enjoying the weather this  week between raindrops  and a light week activity-wise.  The semester will start getting busier from now on (until May).

Sunday - Aunt Babe's Brisket (made about 5 pounds worth).  I will shred and freeze the remaining for BBQ Beef Sandwiches or Shredded Beef Tacos.   Roasted veggies.

Monday - Avocado Chicken Salad and leftover veggies

Tuesday - Pasta and sauce

Wednesday - Fish Tacos

Thursday - Homemade Pizza and Eggplant Parm (from the freezer).

Friday - Chicken (not sure how yet), Matzo Ball Soup (Miss D's request), Challah

For more recipe and menus, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - 12/5/11

Menu Plan Monday - If ever we needed a menu plan, this is the week!   Nutcracker performances next weekend, so this week is filled with rehearsals besides all the usual activities, etc.  I didn't post before or after Thanksgiving because of travel, the holiday, too tired, you name it.  So, here we go:

Monday -  Asian Chicken Salad  This time I'm substituting the peanut butter with Sunbutter.  I made it this morning and it is yummy!

Tuesday - Calzones with spinach - something easy to wrap in foil and take on the road!

Wednesday - Beef fajitas - with leftover london broil, guacamole - early dinner, needs to be quick and easy.

Thursday - Crazy Pizza Bread, crudite - again something that can be packed up for later.

Friday - Roasted chicken, challah, roasted veggies

If you are looking for more menu ideas, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - 11/14/11

Well, the "ick" has officially invaded the house again.  The kids started feeling sick on Thursday, and now are on the mend.  I've been feeling run-down the last week or so, but it developed into a cold for me too this weekend.  Blah!  Is all I have to say about that.  Some of the plans fell apart last week.  We did homemade chicken soup and breadsticks on Thursday and skipped soccer practice.  Stayed in all weekend.  This is the last week of soccer, so hopefully everyone will be well enough.  Trying to take it easy this week, we'll see how that goes (still have mini-real baking and dance, too)!  Just putting a plan out there, although I know it may change as the week goes on.  The only project I got done this weekend was trying my hand at homemade ravioli.  Although far from perfect, certainly something I would like to try again.  No matter how they looked, they tasted really yummy.  And hit the spot to comfort this cold. 

Sunday - Pumpkin Ravioli with sage brown butter sauce.  I made the pumpkin pasta from this recipe from Leite's Culinaria with a simple ricotta filling.  And just like Jennifer in Mamaland, I loaded up on the cheap (50 cents a piece) pie pumpkins at Kroger this year.  I've been roasting, pureeing and freezing cups and cups of pumpkin.  This weekend I also made pumpkin pancakes, which were a hit!

Monday - Meatloaf, oven-roasted sweet potato fries, broccoli

Tuesday - Leftover pasta, veggies

Wednesday - Not sure yet.  Perhaps chicken and rice bake.

Thursday - Homemade Pizza

Friday - Roasted Turkey.  I tried this recipe  for Pumpkin Challah from The Challah Blog a few weeks ago and we really liked it.  I've tweaked the recipe a bit (added oil to make 1/2 cup, not 1/4).  I'm thinking of making more this week and freezing some for Thanksgiving.  Maybe as a pan of challah pull-aparts, with cinnamon sugar, hmm.  Not sure yet.

If you are looking for more recipe and menu ideas, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

MPM - 11/7/11

Menu Plan Monday

Trying to get back on track this week with menu-planning even if it means that perhaps I'll need to change it as the week progresses.  Lots of after-school activities this week (Nutcracker, dance class, mini-real baking, soccer).  And my husband's birthday is this week too!  I'm not going to post my plans for his birthday here (because he occasionally reads my blog ).  Sorry no links or recipes right now, hopefully I will be able to get back to the blog again to post more later.

Monday - Grilled chicken, broccoli, rice

Tuesday - Baked pasta

Wednesday - a surprise  (updated)
Thursday - Homemade pizza

Friday - Spaghetti and Meatballs or roasted chicken?  Not sure yet.  Challah.

Looking for more menu ideas, visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

MPM - 10/24/11

Menu Plan Monday - 10/24/11

I missed last week to post my menu.  It's been pretty busy around here.  LD's birthday later this week, party for him on Sunday and my parents are coming to visit.  I'm keeping this short and simple because I feel like I have a thousand things to do today including working out in anticipation of all the "celebrating" later in the week.  Oh, and Halloween is coming up too!  Oh, and Miss D has a school project that she needs baked goods every Wednesday.  So, "we" will be baking cookies, etc. every Tuesday until December for Mini-Real.  What else?  I know I must be forgetting something...oh, well.

Menu:

Monday:  Manicotti (frozen)  with sauteed spinach.

Tuesday:  Leftover  Spaghetti and Meatballs

Wednesday:  Grilled Chicken, salad

Thursday:  Out to Dinner

Friday - no clue,???

For more menu ideas, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

MPM- 10/10/11

Menu Plan Monday - 10/10/11


Gearing up for Sukkot this week, "we" (i.e. my husband) was very busy building a Sukkah in the backyard.  Here's a picture (three trips to Home Depot later) of the frame, a few lights, and  Miss D dancing underneath:

I trimmed a bunch of trees/bushes yesterday to drape on top, but now we just need some "walls".  I'm thinking a trip to Big Lots is in order for the day.  Unfortunately (and fortunately), rain is in the forecast.  We desperately need it.  We've had such a long dry spell now, but what timing, huh?  I'm hoping by the end of the week we can eat some dinners outside.  We'll just have to wait and see.  I will post progress pictures later.

Anyway, the menu plan (so far):

Monday - Breakfast for dinner:  buttermilk waffles and leftovers from our Breaking the Fast meal, fruit smoothies

Tuesday - Pasta with red sauce, garlic bread, salad

Wednesday - Chicken burgers, grilled sweet potato wedges, pumpkin apple butter pie.  I'm going to try to make it in a slab-pie fashion, rather than a traditional pie plate.

Thursday - Homemade pizza (maybe on the grill?)

Friday - Roasted Chicken, veggies, Challah

Looking for more meal ideas, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - 10/3/11

Menu Plan Monday - 10/3/11

October already? Need to start planning for LD's birthday at the end of the month. I hope to find time to prep some things, like the MMF and shortbread cookie dough. Years ago I read a recipe from Nigella Lawson where she described making "number" cut-out cookies for her childrens' birthday. I thought it was such a great idea, it's now OUR tradition for the kids' birthday to do "number" cookies for every birthday. (and yes, the "2" and the "5" look suspiciously similar.)

Monday - Turkey Burgers, oven roasted fries


Tuesday - Baked ravioli with spinach

Wednesday  - Shredded Beef Tacos with avocados

Thursday - Homemade Pizza

Friday - Tonkatsu Chicken (Mrs. Y's recipe), Challah, salad

Saturday (breaking the fast) - Bagels with lox, spinach frittata, cheesy grits casserole, fruit

For more recipe ideas, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com