Meal Plan #2 2016

The number in the post title is in no way a commitment, nor a promise, to continue sharing them on a regular basis.  I just happened to have another one done, so figured I'd throw it out there.  "Series" are not my strong suit.  I have a hard time following through.  Anyone remember Fun Food Friday and Word Up Wednesday?

We're celebrating The Kid's birthday this weekend, so since I'll be running to the grocery store for party food ingredients, I figured I had better sit down and get a menu together so I could kill two birds with one stone.  Again, I based the dinners on things we already have on hand, and again, I'll throw in some notes of what I'm using like I did last time.  Links to recipes are green.  I know, I'm switchin' the color up.  ;o)

Quick Broccoli Pasta and Garlic Bread

(Broccoli in the fridge, noodles in the pantry, bread in the freezer.  This is so easy and so delicious.  I like to add a squeeze of fresh lemon to my plate, too.)

Spaghetti and Meatballs, Green Salad, and Garlic Bread

(Noodles are in the pantry, I have a big bag of Costco meatballs in the freezer that a friend passed down to me, salad ingredients are in the fridge from a quick birthday present trip to Walmart yesterday, bread is in the freezer.)

Pot Sticker Lettuce Wraps and Steamed Rice

(I've been craving these, so I'm basically buying all the ingredients except the lettuce, orange, rice, and pantry items.  Now that I look at the ingredients again, all I really have to buy is the ground pork, green onions, water chestnuts, and hoisin.)

Chicken Primavera and Oven Roasted Potatoes

(This is still one of my favorite all-time recipes.  I've made it more times than I can count.  I used to only make it with pork chops, but after trying it with chicken last time, I'm goin' for round two.  Chicken thighs are in the freezer, homemade apple butter in the fridge, pepper bacon end pieces in the freezer, taters in the pantry.  I can't wait to eat this.)

Enchilada Pie and Green Salad

(I was gonna do enchiladas, but then remembered the lazy way.  I have two cooked chicken thighs in the freezer, a jar of homemade enchilada sauce in the freezer, tortillas, refried beans, green chilies, and cheese on hand.  Salad fixin's in the fridge.)

Burgers and Fries

(Sometimes a burger sounds so dang good.  I have a ton of slider buns in the freezer, so figured I'd use some up.  I have to buy ground beef and a slicing tomato, but everything else is easy.  And generally I do homemade oven "fries", but I'm buyin' the frozen ones this time around.  Ahhh jeeeaaaahhhhh.)

And there ya go.  

Another six days worth of dinners.

Let me know if ya try any!

Planning Meals Around What You Have + The First Meal Plan of The Year

I am SO excited to be getting back into the swing of things around here.  The two oldest kids finally went back to school today, after getting an extra two days off because of snow and ice.  I'm in my annual purge and organize mode.  So far, after getting the Christmas decorations packed up and put away, and the house mostly put back together, I went after the junk drawer, which was in dire need, and the kids helped with the nightmare hall closet that houses all the puzzles and board games, as well as two of the coffee table drawers, which hold handheld games in one and card games in the other.  I also went through all my dresser drawers and refolded everything, while getting rid of things that haven't seen the light of day in at least a year.

My sister got me a new Tillandsia for my birthday, since I murdered the one she got me last year.

I have quite a few more corners to tackle, but one of the priorities was the two freezers.  Gad.  The month of December usually ends up being all special meals, or dinner outside of the house, so I decided last week that I wanted to get an inventory of everything we had, and base our next meal plan around that.  I pulled everything out of the kitchen freezer and wrote down every single thing that was in there before putting it back in.  I did the same with our old fridge freezer that we keep in the garage.  Unfortunately, some of the things out there ended up in the garbage.  After jotting everything down, I rewrote the list in a more organized fashion, and I have it hanging on the inside of one of  the cupboard doors in the kitchen, where I keep the grocery list.  Now if I just keep it updated, it will be so much easier to keep track of what we have on hand.  I used to do it on a whiteboard for the garage freezer, but that seems to have disappeared.  Most likely buried in the disaster that is our garage.

The Dad got this cool old seltzer bottle from my parents for Christmas.

This is by no means fancy, or pretty.  

No cute chalk art or washi tape, but it's hanging where I see it every day, and hopefully will help me stay on top of it, which is the whole point.  

And if I get a wild hair, I may come up with something a little cuter, and easier to add and remove things from.

Our "pantry" is floor to ceiling open shelves in the utility/laundry/storage room right off the kitchen.

I don't take pictures of it.

Ever.

It's that dirty little secret room.

It's ugly, and most of the time, a total mess, but it houses everything from pantry items, to recycling, to dog and cat paraphernalia, to large kitchen appliances, to party supplies, to all my craft and sewing stuff.

And, it's where I do the laundry.

AND, it houses the utility sink, hot water heater and furnace.

Yeah, it's a work horse room, and it shows.

So ANYway, here are a couple closeups of what I've got goin' on for pantry shelving.

Again, not fancy, not pretty, but generally (it could use some love after the holidays) super organized and easy to access.

Soooooo, the goal was to create five dinners without going to the grocery store, aka without spending any money, and I actually got seven, plus leftovers for The Dad's lunches.

We do get dinner bread and produce once a week from a neighbor, who volunteers for an organization that gets donations from Trader Joe's.

She brings home whatever is left and several neighbors on our street go down and pick what we want.

There's always fruit and always bread, and generally some bags of greens and/or lettuce, so that's how I thought I could get away with not running to the store.

Although, with our snow and ice storm this weekend, she didn't call this week, so on my way home from the doctor the other day, I stopped in at a (sort of) discount produce store called Morrow's and picked up stuff for salads and some mangoes, which were 3 for a $1!!!!

All that being said, here's what our first meal plan of the year looks like, with notes on using what we have. (Blue text are links to recipes.):

Braised Beef with Garlic Cream, Roasted Greek Potatoes, 

Beets and Bread

(The roast is in the freezer, potatoes are in the pantry, I'll roast canned beets from the pantry, heavy cream is leftover from something else, and dinner bread is also in the freezer.)

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta, 

Pasta, Salad, and Bread

(Shrimp are in the freezer, I have two fresh tomatoes and roasted garden ones in the freezer, a half a chunk of feta in the fridge, parsley in the fridge, pasta in the pantry, salad fixin's from Morrow's, and dinner bread in the freezer.)

White Bean and Kale Soup 

and Bread

(Kale was from the neighbor last week, I used garbanzo beans I had cooked a giant batch of and stuck in the freezer, I threw in some sliced jalapeno-jack sausages from the freezer, I also added potatoes from the pantry, bread was from the freezer.)

Marjoram Roasted Chicken, 

Stuffing, Green Beans, and Rolls

(Whole chicken was in the freezer, I made a giant batch of apple butter with apples from the neighbor last week, I doctored up a box of Stove Top with apples, cranberries, and nuts, green beans were frozen, rolls were frozen.  I also got a second meal out of the chicken, (see below), plus three large jars of homemade chicken stock for the freezer.  Woot woot.)

Chicken and Dumpling Casserole 

and Salad

(Leftover chicken from previous dinner, salad fixin's from Morrow's.)

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches on Pretzel Rolls 

and Celery Salad with Blue Cheese

(We took restaurant fried chicken to my parents house for the Duck's game last weekend and came home with the leftovers.  I pulled the meat off the bones and used that, made the buffalo sauce from scratch, the pretzel rolls were in the freezer, celery and blue cheese dressing were in the fridge.)

Marmalade Chicken, 

Steamed Rice, and Edamame

(Chicken breasts in the freezer (you can also make this with shrimp), rice in the pantry, marmalade in the fridge, shelled edamame in the freezer.)

 We've eaten all but two of these, so I need to get my butt in gear for the next week's worth.

Now that I know what we have on hand, it should be fairly quick throwing together a menu and grocery list.

Having a meal plan written out for at least five days makes dinner prep go sooo much smoother.

I don't have to think about any of it, I just pick something off the list in the morning, and do whatever I need to do, like pulling meat from the freezer, or sticking something in the crockpot.

Then, come 5:00, all I have to do is prep stuff and get it in the oven, or on the stove.

I'm one of those weirdos who loves to dig through the fridge and pantry and come up with dinners on the fly, but most weeknights, that does not sound fun when you've got kids pulling you in fifteen different directions, and all you want to do is drink wine in a closet where it's quiet.

So this helps out a ton to have it already dialed in.

Plus, it saves a crap ton of money if you go to the grocery store with a plan and a list, and are able to stick to it, which is super important to those of us with limited funding.

Are you a meal planner, or a fly by the seat of your pants cook?

Enchilada Stuffed Summer Squash + The Latest Meal Plan

'Tis the season of trying to come up with 101 ways to use zucchini. I'm only growing one plant this year, but my neighbors have been sharing theirs with us, too.  I'm not complaining.  I love it, and the kids can put away all the yummy zucchini baked goods like nobody's business.  Pancakes with shredded zucchini in them are a super popular item at my house.

I have a Zucchini Pinterest board, to keep track of recipe ideas for this time of year, and I had this one planned for one of our meals.  Then I was given a GIANT pattypan squash on our neighborhood garden tour and thought, why not?

And no, these are not fancy food blogger photos, they're real life dinner table photos.

The kids refuse to eat any sort of squash, summer or winter, (I know, who raised them?!), so this was all for me and The Dad.  I put some of the filling in tortillas for the kiddos.  Everyone's happy.

Here's the link for the recipe I used as a starting point:  

Cheesy Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini

That pan is a size up from a 9 x 13, if that gives you a better idea of how big the squash was.

Huge.

We each only ate about a half of one half, so we got a second meal out of it.

I ended up doubling the filling to fill my giant squash, and still have enough for the kids' tortillas, and I also threw in a can of refried beans.  I upped the garlic and seasoning amounts, to suit our taste, as well.  The recipe calls for diced, cooked chicken, but you could easily omit that for a vegetarian meal.  Whole black beans would be good, too.  To finish it off, we topped it with all the usuals:  sour cream, salsa, cilantro, jalapeno, a banana pepper, and fresh lime wedges.  A sliced cucumber from the garden, some kale-cabbage slaw given to us by a neighbor, and it was time to eat.

Here's dinner on my plate:

Really, really delicious.
And here's some of the other meals we have planned:

* Pork Medallions with Roasted Figs, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Beet Greens, and Bread
* 3-Cheese Zucchini Lasagna Rolls, Heirloom Tomato-Basil Salad, and Bread
* Mini Grilled Pizzas and Cucumber, Tomato, Garbanzo Bean Salad
* "French Food" (my nephew's coined term for picky food night)
* BBQ Country-Style Ribs, Corn on the Cob, and Loaded Boiled Potatoes

Bulgogi Marinade + The Latest Meal Plan

Is it weird to post a recipe without photos of the finished dish?  I was sitting in front of my cleaned off plate and went, oh shit, I forgot to take pictures!!!

I've been making this marinade for as long as I can remember.  It originally came out of our newspaper.

It's sooooo good on flanken-style short ribs, but they're pretty spendy, so sometimes I'll use it to marinate a less expensive cut of meat.  Sirloin, flank steak, tri-tip, whatever.  It's all yummy.

We almost always have it with white rice and either a veggie or an Asian-style salad or slaw.

And lots of Sriracha.

So, so delicious.

Here's the recipe with my notes:

Bulgogi (Fired Beef)

Printable Recipe

2 pounds Korean-style short ribs or 1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin or other beef cut

1/2 C soy sauce

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

3 Tbsp grated Asian pear, grated Fuji, or other sweet apple

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, grated

4 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (you can buy them already toasted)

4 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp ground black pepper

If using beef sirloin, slice diagonally across the grain into long thin strips about 1/4 inch thick.  (This is easiest if you stick the meat in the freezer for a bit.)  Set aside.

Combine soy sauce, sugar, apple, green onions, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil and black pepper; mix well.  Transfer to a large ziplock bag and add the meat.  Seal and toss the bag lightly back and forth to coat the meat.  Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Prepare grill.  Remove meat from refrigerator. Thread beef slices, if using, lengthwise onto skewers, putting 2 to 3 pieces per skewer.  Transfer remaining marinade to bowl.

Cook the skewers over medium-high heat.  Grill, basting beef with reserved marinade and turning frequently to prevent burning, until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes.  

To cook short ribs, grill 2 to 3 minutes per side until brown and crispy on all sides.

You can eat the skewered meat as-is with your side dishes, or make lettuce wraps with it.  Delicious.

As for the ribs, they just may change your life.

Here's what we'll be eating over the next week or so:

*  Chorizo Burgers with Spicy Ranch, Cotija and Avocado, Oven Fries, and Fruit
*  Chorizo (leftover cooked meat from the burgers), Cotija & Avocado Quesadillas and Fruit
*  Grilled Beer Can Chicken, Potatoes, and Green Beans
*  Grilled New York Steak, Garlic Roasted Chickpea Salad with Feta & Mint, Tomato, Basil, & Feta Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, Crispy Fried Japanese Eggplant (from the garden!), and Bread
*  Lemongrass Pork, Eggplant and Mushrooms in Garlic Sauce (from the garden again!), and White Rice
*  Banh Mi Sammies (using leftover Lemongrass Pork) with Pickled Carrots & Daikon and Fruit
*  Grilled Chicken Salads and Bread
*  Cheese Steak Sammies, Chips, and Fruit

Please see my sidebar for the parties I link up to.

Jewel Frittata + Father's Day + The Latest Meal Plan

Father's Day for us this year was super laid back.  As of the day before, I didn't have a clue what we were gonna do.  I talked to my sister and asked what they were doing.  She said nothin' and asked what we were doing.  Nothin'.  So she asked if I wanted to join forces.  Okay.  I had a ham in the freezer that we bought on sale during Easter.  I had farm fresh eggs from one of my sister's co-workers.  I had a bag of potatoes. She had a hunk of goat cheese at her house.  Add some fruit and croissants and you've got brunch.

Our farmer's market opened on the first of this month, and because we've been gone, we haven't had the chance to go yet. So the five of us headed over Sunday morning to start our Father's Day festivities.  Can I just say how much I love the farmer's market?  I LOVE the farmer's market.  I picked up a few things to go with our meal, plus some other things for the week.

First, we discovered a new little piece of heaven.  A pineapple version of hard cider.  Um, this stuff is AMAZING.  Beyond amazing.  If you see it, grab it and run.  It's meant to be mixed with Mexican beer, but we had it with Champagne.  Ummmm, DELICIOUS.  I have Pineapple Mint in the garden, so we put that and a fresh piece of pineapple in our glasses.  Did I mention delicious?

We will definitely be pickin' up a couple more bottles next Sunday for our 4th of July Rock Farm trip.

Mexican beer, Tepache, and lime?

Yes please.

I think we may try it in mixed drinks, too.

SO GOOD.

We also whipped up some Bloody Mary's for the dads.

Okay, I started with one of those, too.

And here's the rest of our brunch:

I picked up a jar of Tayberry (I had never heard of it and it's AMAZING) jam at the market to go with the croissants and goat cheese.

I also had some macerated strawberries in the fridge.

Watermelon and pineapple from the Asian market by our house.

My sister photo bombing.

Purdy flowers for the table.

Frittata.

I used this recipe:  Jewel Fritatta.

I'm not an egg eater, but everyone voted it really good.

I followed the recipe, but instead of cheddar, I used Trader Joe's Toscano with Black Pepper.

That cheese is some seriously good stuff.

I got to use the first fresh basil from the garden, too.

Frittata's are seriously so easy.

Breakfast for dinner, anyone?

HAM.

(That was for you, Danny.)

I roasted the taters in the oven and finished them up with cheddar.

Mmmm, cheesy potatoes.

Here's brunch on my plate:

The orange drops on my taters is another new farmer's market find.

Organic orange hot sauce.

It's goooood.

Next week we're gonna get the green one.

Super easy, last-minute way to celebrate the dads.

And yes, I failed at people pictures.

Again.

Now that we've been home for a week, I've re-acclimated to my life and figured I had best get some sort of meal plan together so we didn't starve.

Ha!

I got lucky 'cause two of the meals I made for my parents while we were gone are still in the freezer.
They only ate half a pan of enchiladas, so she stuck them back in the freezer.
Also, I had two bags of the Coconut Chicken in the freezer and they only ate one.
Score.

So this is what's on the food agenda for the coming week:

* Oven-Baked Berry Pancake, Leftover Jewel Frittata, Leftover Ham, and another batch of Cheesy Potatoes
* Enchiladas and Edamame Quinoa Salad 
* Whole Baked Trout With Cherry Tomatoes & Potatoes and Shaved Rhubarb Salad
* Hawaiian Chicken, White Rice, and Green Beans
* Tortellini With Garlic & Scapes (similar to this recipe), Caesar Salad, and Bread

You can find most of the recipes on my Pinterest boards, if anyone is interested.
I'll post 'em all if they're any good.


Please see my sidebar for the parties I link up to.