Weekly Meal Plan

I like to plan meals...Most weeks we'll eat perhaps half of what I plan.  That might make meal planning seem a waste but it's super helpful to at least have an idea of what foods we have, what meals might be made with them and should it all go to heck in a hand-basket?  I can give my beloved the menu and say, "Make meals please."  Not that I've ever needed to do that, but he would to the best of his ability or... he'd fry eggs and make hamburgers, lol.  Seriously, the menu is a help because on those days I can't think, lack inspiration, couldn't care less...there's a meal idea.  I need only thaw and cook.  No thinking required for the most part.



All this chatter because in my childhood home, though I was the cook for many of our suppers and all meals in summer and holidays out of school, meal planning took place on a daily basis.  I soothed my desire to plan by reading the menus in Woman's Day magazine and in my favorite cookbook, The Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook which I still look to for inspiration when I am stumped.    It was years ago when I was broker than broke that I began to plan meals to stretch my dollars and foodstuffs and it worked so well, I've kept right on doing it.

It's been a learning process all along and I continue to learn even today.

Twice Baked Potatoes, Steamed Sugar Snap Peas, Tossed Salad,
I don't know just why but this meal never comes across as meatless.  Is it the cheese?  The egg I mash in with the potato stuffing so that it fluffs nicely and looks 'full'?  It remains one of my favorite meatless entrees, regardless.

Meatball Heroes, Parmesan coated Zucchini 'fries', Watermelon 
I'll use onion buns for the hero sandwiches.  Not typical but I have plenty of those buns to use up yet.   One zucchini will make sufficient fries for the two of us.  I've got a recipe for Zucchini bread that I mean to make this week...Believe it or not until last month I never ate zucchini bread!  I like it rather well.

Fried Chicken,  Broccoli and Rice, Green Salad
There is a Mennonite restaurant that serves a broccoli and rice casserole in the next county.  People RAVED over it, but you know, I just didn't like it.  Cheez Whiz people...ugh.  So I figured out a way to make my own version.  Cooked rice, steamed fresh broccoli, a little homemade cheese sauce (leftover from last week's Mac and Cheese), and grated onion, mixed, baked in a casserole.  Like it very well, indeed.  I'll oven bake my chicken alongside.

Cheese Ravioli with Spinach Alfredo Sauce, Mixed Greens Salad, Garlic Toast
I sometimes have Alfredo sauce on my pantry shelf, but I'll make my own today and add in some fresh steamed spinach.  I had this lovely sauce in a restaurant a couple of years ago and now and then I remember how very good it was.  I prefer a thinner sauce with the spinach in it.

Tuna Nicoise Salad Plates, Crispy Crackers, Pears 
Steamed whole green beans, marble sized red potatoes, grape tomatoes, tuna and a lovely lemon vinaigrette make a beautiful salad plate.  I'll serve over a bed of mixed greens (left from the previous meal).

Sliced Smoked Turkey Breast, Wild Rice, Green Peas, Pear and Walnut Salad
Back at Christmas we bought an extra smoked turkey and have had it in the freezer since.  I thought I'd take it out to cook now, will slice the meat for work sandwiches.  And to use up the leftovers...

Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup, Popovers, Fresh fruit plate
 I'll use leftovers to make this soup, which has mushrooms and carrots and onions and the wild rice in a creamy base.  Somewhere I have this recipe and if I can't find it, I'll wing it.  Because I am soooo ready for soup high temperatures not withstanding.