So I want to start putting my menu up at the beginning of the week, with any available recipes.  I had started planning the menu this week, but it didn't get finished, until today.  Its been a long week of being stuck in the house due to snow.  And things have changed a few times, because of the cancellation of plans for this weekend.  I will now post what we ate so far this week, and what is planned for the rest of the week (recipes are below the menu).  Maybe next Monday I'll get the menu up on time! 

Monday
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: stir-fry made from leftovers

Tuesday
Lunch: burritos with beans, rice, corn, and cheese
Dinner: take-out from Mike's Drive-In

Wednesday
Lunch: Mac & Cheese, apples
Dinner: Pizza Delivery

Thursday
Lunch: leftover pizza, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, applesauce
Dinner: Chicken Alfredo, Herb Noodles, Sauteed Asparagus, Apple Crisp

Friday
Lunch: Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup
Dinner: Sloppy Joes, Green Beans with Onions and Homemade Rolls

Saturday
Lunch: Leftover Sloppy Joes
Dinner: Cranberry Bean & Tomato Soup, Homemade Bread


Recipes
We're still eating out of our pantry, so many things are still have made for us.  But I do have a couple of homemade meals this week.

Chicken Alfredo:  Cook chicken pieces, open jar of Alfredo sauce, pour over chicken. Serve over noodles.

Apple Crisp:

4 cups sliced apples
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.

Place apples in prepared dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Pour water over all. In a bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Blend in flour. Sprinkle mixture evenly over apples.

Bake in preheated oven 30 to 40 minutes, until apples are tender and crust is golden.

Sloppy Joes:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup minced onion
2 (8 ounce) packages tempeh
1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 pinch ground black pepper
Heat oil in a deep, 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onion in the oil until translucent. Crumble the tempeh into the skillet; cook and stir until golden brown. Add the green pepper and garlic; cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, honey, molasses, cayenne pepper, celery seed, cumin, salt, coriander, thyme, oregano, paprika, and black pepper; stir. Simmer another 10 to 15 minutes. Spoon hot onto hamburger buns to serve.

Bread Machine Rolls:

3 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dry milk powder
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 egg white
2 tablespoons water Place the bread flour, sugar, salt, milk powder, water, butter, and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Set on Dough cycle; press Start.

Remove risen dough from the machine, deflate, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into twelve equal pieces, and form into rounds. Place the rounds on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a small bowl, mix together the egg white and 2 tablespoons water; brush lightly onto the rolls. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown.

Cranberry Bean and Tomato Soup:

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallot
4 cloves minced garlic
2 ½ pounds chopped tomato
1 pound shelled cranberry beans (or other fresh shelled bean, dry beans soaked overnight and drained, or 2 cans rinsed and drained beans)
1 ¾ cup water
20 leaves fresh basil, divided, chopped
5 leaves fresh sage, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or lemon thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
black pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan, heat the olive oil and add shallots and garlic, stir over medium heat until shallots are clear and garlic is lightly browned.

Add chopped tomato and stir occasionally for about 20 minutes or until they have released liquid and are very soft.

Stir in beans and water and allow it to cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add half of the basil along with the sage, thyme, salt and pepper, stir well and let simmer for about two minutes.

To serve, top with remaining basil leaves.