Weekly Meal Plan and This Week's Plans

Steak, Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Tossed Salad, Rolls
Do you ever get in a rut with a menu plan?  I do often.  I so often serve baked potatoes with steak that I forget that I could have anything I wanted as a side.  Steak and potatoes do have a lovely affinity for one another, but why be so rutty.  This week I decided to make sour cream and chive potatoes. 

Tortellini and Meatball soup, Garlic Bread, Grapes
I've made this soup exactly once.  It's from Country Living magazine and is so tasty.  However, if you plan to make ahead and freeze a portion, I strongly urge you to hold off adding your tortellini even if you opt to use the dried shelf stable type instead of fresh or frozen.  It takes absolutely no time to overcook and becomes gummy and unpleasant.  I learned my lesson the hard way.  However, this soup is sooo good and takes only a little while to make from scratch.



Fish Fillet Sandwiches, Coleslaw, Potato Chips
Found the fillets when I dug through the kitchen freezer.  I knew I had them in there but couldn't find them until this week.  I bought these at Aldi and they were okay, not at all bad.  I'll make my own rolls, and my own tartar sauce too.


Chicken Cacciatore, Spaghetti, Spinach and Lettuce Salad, Crusty Italian Bread
I don't like Chicken Cacciatore...Until winter rolls around and then I actually crave it.  Go figure. I suppose this Vitamin C rich dish is just what I need.  And I really do like it for just this once each year.The breasts I bought at Aldi are HUGE as usual, so shall halve them again to use for us. 

Black Bean Burritos, Cabbage Salad, Pineapple Upside Cupcakes
I thought making just a couple of pineapple cupcakes would be best.  I'll do a whole batch of plain cupcakes from the rest of the cake batter.  And the pineapple will be salad later in the week.


Macaroni and Cheese, Broccoli, Tossed Salad, Fruit Salad
I'll use some grapes, pineapple and honey bell oranges in the fruit salad.

Hamburger Pot Pie, Butter Beans, Pepper, Tomato and Onion Salad
I bought a little pot pie at Sam's club a few years ago that blew me away.  It was simple and tasty.  It was so simple in fact, that I felt embarrassed   I'd PAID money for it!  Well seasoned hamburger gravy in a pastry shell was topped with mashed potatoes and cheese and baked...Yeah, just that easy but it tasted so very good I couldn't get over how simple it was.  I think of it now and then and it occurred to me this week I should try my hand at it.  Who knows maybe I'll create a new favorite for our household.  I can certainly make up a few of these in disposable pans and have a ready to bake entree in the freezer for those days when I don't feel I want to cook.

Plans for this week:





Last week's items that I accomplished

Home:  Food inventory for kitchen cupboards
             Grocery shopping
             Clear out those bathroom cabinets and dresser drawers

Flea Market:  Decide upon next items to be tagged and make out a list of items to be removed from the booth.  I don't have to go in this week except to check on if I owe any rent money.  I was very very close to having earned that this month as of last week.

Blog:  Monthly Replies Post (very nearly done)
           Home Ec Post (a work in progress)
           Frugal Friday post and link to others

Yard:  Plant those bulbs before next cold spell hits.
           Pick up branches around house.
           Trim Roses

Hobby:  Spend one full afternoon entering info into tree from research already done and proven
               Quilt work now that sewing table is moved to window for better light.

Week of February 9-14
Home:  Food inventory of back pantry and freezer
              Clean fridge
              Sort out bedside table and desk
              Spend an hour or two in the shed and organize the stuff properly from the last toss and go.

Blog:  Get new vintage artwork scanned.
            Work on a Shabat Thoughts post.
            Finish three posts that are in progress.
            Frugal Friday post and link to others.

Flea market:  Decide upon next items going to booth and tag them.
                        Find a new design for tags for the next batch.
                        Buy or order spool of twine for tag strings.

Yard:  Trim roses.
            Try to get rosemary and rose moved from back deck area.
            Pick up branches.

Hobby/Fun:  Work on quilt.
                      A day out to antiques stores I've wanted to visit.