Menu Plan? Oh Dear

I've been missing in action here and at home this week.  Gone for two days and spent today recovering (and catching up on the bare basics).  It wasn't until John mentioned grocery shopping that I realized I hadn't even made out a list...and that's when it hit me that I hadn't even made out a menu!  I'm three days behind and I feel every single bit of it.

Well, no problem menu wise at least. I can manage meals just fine, only need fruit and salad makings for those.  In fact, my pantry/freezer situation at present is such that I no longer plan  meals around the grocery list,  I just go by the pantry/freezer inventory lists.  It's only when I'm trying a new or seldom used recipe that calls for a special ingredient that I make out a grocery list that is meal specific.  I really like this way of planning meals!  There's seldom a panic as I gaze at our basic ingredients and goods because all of them translate right into meals.

I cooked a roast Saturday in the oven while our dinner baked alongside.  I like doing things in the frugal way.  It was so cold that the warmth from the oven was most welcome in the house (score two on frugal).  I was still so travel weary today I forgot the roast sitting in the fridge, so that's definitely going on the menu right away...and we'll build the menu from there.

Roast Beef and Gravy Open Face Sandwiches, Oven Fries,  Coleslaw

Turkey Kielbasa, Steamed Cabbage and Potatoes, homemade Applesauce
The applesauce uses up some apples that have been lingering instead of getting eaten as I'd like.


Cubed Steak, Mac and cheese, Mixed Salad, Breadsticks
John brought home the bread sticks for us.  I have just enough macaroni cheese in the freezer to use as a side dish.


Chicken Fried Rice, Broccoli, Clementines
I will have to buy chicken to prepare this dish, but I've plenty of broccoli and clementines on hand from last shopping trip.


Creamy Potato Soup, Toasted Rueben Sandwiches
I saw a menu plan in a magazine and they used turkey in place of the pastrami or corned beef that is normally in a reuben.  My first thought was that I'd like that very well:  it's so much less salty than either of the other two meats.  And we always have turkey sandwich meat on hand, so no special purchase required.

I discovered the trick to a really creamy potato soup quite by accident last year.  I was using up odd bits from the freezer and dumped in  partial block of cream cheese.  Katie was visiting with us at the time and it was agreed by all at the table that it was the best potato soup I'd ever made.  I happen to know there's a partial block of cream cheese in the cheese basket right now, so potato soup is definitely on the menu.

Veggie Pizza
I have planned to purchase tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach, have tri color bell peppers, onions on hand.  I won't make a salad.  I consider this a complete meal as is with the vegetables, cheese and bread.


Cincinatti Style Chili, Green Salad, Corn Muffins
One of my favorite ways to extend chili and make it seem less soup more meal.  It's a great budget meal anyway you look at it.  I'll offer chopped green onion, shredded cheddar and oyster crackers to top.  It's also a great meal to prep ahead and serve later.