Menu Plan Monday - Changing Routines

Good Morning!  I meant to get an early start on menu planning this morning.  We've a slight change in routine this week and John promoted change for grocery shopping, one I'm not sad to have occur.  He suggested last night that we shop on Wednesday for groceries.  I told him I'd meant to do it on Tuesday since he had other things to do on Wednesday this week.  He was disappointed!  Seems he's enjoyed this process of going out for groceries on his first day off, he finds it relaxing.  Who knew?  So I'm changing a pattern I've had for the past 16 years:  I'll now be shopping on Wednesday.  This is ideal in many ways as it will mean I can shop weekly (when he's off and again the following week when he returns to work).  I"ll be better able to take advantage of sales (hopefully lowering my costs overall) and no longer do Big Shop, which I've been slowly working away from anyway.

Our weather is very warm at the moment so I'm looking at warm weather foods.  I'm not fooled though.  Reading through past newsletters I find many mentions of cold April days and nights despite warm March temperatures. This week it's warm days all the way.  I'll have to plan meals accordingly.

Monday:  Tacos, Corn, Spiced Molten Lava Cakes
I'd meant to have tacos yesterday but worked too long and too hard and was too hungry to make a fussy meal.  I wanted food right away and managed to find something.  Today I'm planning to work ahead.  I'll go ahead and cook and season the ground beef, prep the vegetables and all I'll need to do later is to heat the meat and corn, while I fry the tortillas.  I can handle that no matter how hard I work.



Tuesday:  Italian Pepper Steak, Rice, Green Beans, Rolls
This is an old family favorite.  I have rice cooked and frozen that I'll use for my meal today.  There will be leftovers of the steak mixture.  I'm going to set it aside for sandwiches later this week, an idea that originated with my mom when she developed this recipe.

Wednesday:  Reubens, Potato Salad, Dill Pickle Spears
I made corned beef on Saturday and there are plenty of leftovers.  We need Swiss cheese which I plan to buy today, Thousand Island dressing (bottled or homemade), Rye bread and sauerkraut.  The trick to sauerkraut: rinse really well and squeeze really dry before putting on the sandwiches.  I'll toast the sandwiches.  Leftover potatoes cooked on Saturday will make the salad. 

Thursday:  Taco Salad, Ice Cream Cones
I know I'll have leftover taco meat today.  Since we're going out to supper a salad meal will suit us perfectly for midday.     

Friday:   Chicken Primavera Pasta, Green Salad, Crusty bread
With asparagus in season and peppers and tomatoes available from Florida, we can have a lovely pasta dish.  I'll add in a cooked chicken breast cut into strips just to make the pasta dish a little more hearty for my husband.  I'm pretty sure he'll be mowing lawn this day and he'll want something with substance to it, without being too heavy.

Saturday:  Italian Pepper Steak Sandwiches, Chips, Berries and Whipped cream
I know we've got a business meeting after service today, so it's imperative I have a quick meal that is easily prepared when we get home.  I'll need only to reheat the leftover pepper steak, fill onion rolls and dinner is served.

Sunday:  Homemade Vegetable Pizza, Green Salad
John will work an extra shift today.  He's been so busy lately that supper is now being eaten at home.  I like to have something on hand that he can heat if he wants it, and pizza suits that need nicely.  It's a good stand-in for a meatless meal as well, which makes the budget sing a sweeter tune, lol.