This week, I am doing a pantry challenge for the days we're home to eat dinner, except for Thanksgiving day, of course.

The kids created the Thanksgiving menu this year.  So if it's carb heavy, no, I don't need a lecture.  The Chicken Paprikas dish is something I used to make when it was just my husband and I.  It sounded good, so I thought I'd try bringing it back into our menus.  It harkens back to the days when I used to read Bon Appetit magazine regularly.  The alfredo sauce is a natural mix I get from my food co-op.

We'll be spending Wednesday making pies and a salad.  We created a Fire & Ice centerpiece yesterday using items my boys and I found at our local park.  Daughter and I put it together last night.  It's looking good.  For more inspiration, check out the holiday baking and crafts issue of Taste of Home Magazine.  We were inspired!

Here's my menu for this week:

Monday: Smoked sausage, peas and pasta with alfredo sauce.

Tuesday: Out to pizza with friends for a birthday party.

Wednesday: Chicken paprikas over buttered noodles with roasted green beans.

Thursday=Thanksgiving Day: Turkey, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Macaroni Salad, Stuffing, Shrimp Caesar Salad, Heather Hash, Yams, Hawaiian Rolls, Veggie Tray, Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Juice, Dutch Apple, Buttermilk and Pumpkin Pies.

Friday: Same deal.

Saturday: Pancakes & Bacon, Fruit

Sunday: Pot of Beans, Corn Bread, Fruit

For more menu planning inspiration, check out the Organized Junkie.

Last week got a little messed up because our plans got jumbled.  But for the most part, I stuck to our menus.  We ended up with doctor apointments on Friday, later in the day, so we ate out that night.

Here's our menu for this week:

Monday: Quiche, French Onion Soup, Caesar Salad, Bread

Tuesday: Baked Honey Mustard Chicken, Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes, Green Beans & Garlic, Bread (to spread the garlic on)

(I'm rolling the chicken into Wednesday night dinner)

Wednesday: Chicken, Spanish Rice & Black Beans dish with Tortillas & Salad

Thursday: Baked Beans, Corn Muffins, Fruit Salad

(Rolling beans and fruit salad into Friday night dinner)

Friday: Hamburgers, Baked Beans, Fruit Salad

Saturday: Potato Veggie Chowder, Fresh Baked Bread

Sunday: Pancakes, Fruit Smoothies

For more menu ideas and recipes, check out the Organized Junkie at www.orgjunkie.com!

Here's my plan for this week.  What's your plan?  I tell ya, it sure takes a lot of stress out of my day when I'm faithful in my meal planning.

Monday: Beef Enchiladas, Spanish Rice (from freezer inventory)

Tuesday: Lentil Stew (from freezer inventory), Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Wednesday: Stovetop Frittata, Sourdough Toast

Thursday: Clam Chowder, Tossed Salad

Friday: Eat at Costco

Saturday: Stromboli & Sauce, Tossed Salad

Sunday: To Be Determined

For more menu ideas, visit the Organized Junkie.

Well, I never posted again after my menu plan last Monday.  I'll try harder this week to post something besides my menu.  Here is our menu for this first week of November.  I stuck with my menu last week, except on Friday.   I ended up getting pizza takeout.  What can I say?  I got tired and lazy.  But it sure was yummy!

Monday:  Homemade Macaroni & Cheese with Smoked Sausage and Tossed Salad

Tuesday:  Vegie Pot Pie, Fruit Salad

Wednesday:  Baked Chicken Breast with Curried Brown Rice & Peas, Baked Apples

Thursday:  Beef Soft Tacos, Spanish Rice

Friday: Homemade Pizza or Stromboli, Tossed Salad

Saturday: Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Tossed Salad

Sunday: TBD

Back to Organized Junkie

Okay, so I am going to jump back into my old routine.  Here's my menu plan for this week.

Monday: Chicken Caesar, Shrimp Caesar, Spinach Fettucine with choice of Marinara Sauce or Butter and Parmesan Cheese, Sourdough Bread

Tuesday: Roasted Pork, Roasted Acorn Squash, Sweet Green Beans, Apples, Biscuits

Wednesday: Pork Burritos with Spanish Rice, Romaine & Carrot Salad with Pumpkin Seeds, Apples

Thursday: Sloppy Joes, Caesar Salad, Mandarin Oranges

Friday: Homemade Veggie & Cheese Pizzas, Caesar Salad

Saturday: Beloved is making Crepes at Children's request!  Yum!

Sunday: Some Kind of Rice Casserole, To Be Determined

Yeah, that's a lot of Caesar Salad.  But I bought the large package of Romaine at Costco over the weekend, and my family LOVES Caesar Salad, so we're going to enjoy it this week!

Also, we don't normally eat pork, but we've slipped in the last year or so and have been eating some.  After this pork roast is out of our freezer, we're going to go back to not eating pork again, for health reasons.  We do eat occasional shellfish (well, my family does, I don't), hence the Shrimp Caesar Salad.  But that's maybe about once every few months at most.  We'd prefer to stick with a diet closer to Old Testament guidelines, for health reasons only.  But we're not perfect.

Notice I am rolling items from one dinner into the next dinner a few different times this week.

Happy cooking!

Kris

Back to Organized Junkie

It's hard to believe it's been so long since I've written you.  Let's say that 2009 has been a year of trials and tests for us and it's not over yet.  I haven't wanted to burden my readers with all of the details, so I just stayed away from my blog these months while trying to keep my act together during a difficult time in my family's life.

But I would like to pop in here and share a salsa recipe with you that I created to make from items I can keep in my pantry.  This recipe makes one quart.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do here!

1 -30 oz. Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes (I use Muir Glen Organic)

2 t. Chopped Garlic

5 Slices of Jarred Nacho Jalapenos (plus a little of the juice)

Approximatelyy 1/2 t. Kosher Salt

Dash Black Pepper

2 t. Lime Juice or 1 t. Apple Cider Vinegar

Optional: Sliced Green Onions & Cilantro

Whiz first 6 ingredients in food processor until well blended, careful not to let your tomatoes get bubbly looking=two much blending.  Pulse optional ingredients in until broken up, but not pureed.

Fills a one quart canning jar and keeps for about 4-5 days in the frig.

Enjoy with our blessings!

WOW!

Time flies.  It's been two weeks since my last post and April will be over before I know it.  I apologize for not posting lately.  We've been dealing with a lot of stuff here and it's just been so overwhelming that I am merely in survival mode.  I haven't even been planning meals or thinking about dinner until after Beloved comes home in the evenings.  This has got to change!

So here I am and here is this week's menu for all to see and keep me accountable:

Monday: Homegroup-Pizza & Salad Dinner

Tuesday: BBQ Marinated Steak, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips, WW Biscuits, Tossed Green Salad

Wednesday: Lentils & Rice with Smoked Sausage, Green Beans

Thursday: Bacon & Egg Stir Fried Rice, SnS Green Beans

Friday: Pasta with Marinara Sauce, Tossed Green Salad

Saturday: Crockpot Chicken Fajitas with all the fixings, Rice Pudding Dessert

Sunday: Grilled Cheese or Leftovers - Clean Out Frig

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I did okay on last week's pantry challenge.  My meals got mixed up and I didn't make the chicken, but I did not buy new groceries for dinners.  I did end up at the store for milk and bread, though.  I am really just struggling lately with my back issues (which are now greatly improved) and low energy, too.

I should be myself again before you know it.  

This week, a Pantry Challenge!

I've challenged myself to eating only what is in my food stores.  I need to practice using what I've got and I have a good stock right now, so this should be a fun challenge!  Here's my menu, minus some details I have yet to work out:

Monday: Baked Ziti, Caesar Salad  Macaroni with Cheese Sauce and Diced Ham, Celery & Carrots

Tuesday: Baked Ziti, Sourdough

Wednesday: Homemade Vegie Pizza  Leftovers from Mon. & Tues.

Thursday: Whole Roasted Chicken with Vegies and Brown & Wild Rice, Applesauce

Friday: Chicken and Rice Soup, Homemade Bread, Canned Peaches

Saturday: Meatloaf (already made and in the freezer), with Buttered Eggs Noodles, Peas, & Pear Pie

Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner

The only thing I should have to buy this week are diapers for my toddler and maybe some soda to go with our pizza Wednesday night.

Back to Organized Junkie.

I got 5 lb. bags of potatoes, carrots and onions for .99 each over the weekend.  So it's Potato & Carrot week here at Almost Plum Nearly!

Monday: Crockpot Chicken Fajitas with all the fixings, Raw Carrots

Tuesday: Leftover Fajita Chicken, Onions & Peppers with Black Beans over Rice, Carrot Salad

Wednesday: Corn Chowder, Buttermilk Biscuits, Coleslaw, Baked Apples

Thursday: Meatloaf, Scalloped Potatoes, Glazed Carrots

Friday: Homemade Pizzas, Mocha Sheetcake

Saturday: Baked Potato Bar with all the fixings

Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner?

Your link back to Organized Junkie.