Looking back at last week's meals and two weeks' back at those meals, I wonder that I take time to plan meals at all. I'm tempted to just roll with Lisa's idea of Open Meal Planning (@Farmhouse on Boone). However, planning ahead does make a difference in both balancing costs overall and in helping me to be aware of what I might need to prep ahead or partially prepare in a week's time. Bonus points for me if I do those things on a week that is very busy, because it eliminates the need to make decisions and allows me to be prepared. Yet, I continue to more or less fly by the seat of my pants and just grab things from the freezer, change plans willy-nilly and adjust according to whatever the week brings at me.
I'll make my plans...and likely continue to change them here and there. My plan has always been to have at least the elements of meals in place if not the actual menu I originally planned. And that has served me well so far. I just need to do that instead of switching up menus to something not even remotely related to what I'd planned.
Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash, Stuffing, Green Beans. True confession time...Every year when I see the pumpkin and butternut and winter squashes in the grocery, I get excited. They're pretty. They're cheap. They're fresh. And then it's time to actually cook the ones I buy, and I realize that they are all of the previously mentioned things...but ultimately, I don't really like them. Anyone else with me? I keep trying to find ways to eat them that will make me believe they are as good as my eyes keep telling me they are. I am happy to report that this was a most excellent recipe. I did top with cheese, but this recipe is the keeper for Acorn Squash!
Chicken Pot Pie Leftovers, Cranberry Sauce, Pear Salad. This most likely will be our Sunday meal. We always come home hungry as can be and want something quick. With planning I should make the salad before we leave for church, but it's a quick one to put together if I fail on that.
Shepherd's Pie, Coleslaw, Baked Apples
Sweet and Sour Pork Chops, Rice, Mixed Vegetables (Broccoli, Red Peppers, Carrots, Onions) Brussels Sprouts. Here's a good example of what I mean. I didn't plan to make this on the weekend, but here I was on Saturday with chops out and my mind kept going to making an oven meal out of this. So, I cooked the chops on top of rice/broth in a slow oven. Since I hadn't made a planned trip to the store (something I'm skipping far more often lately!), I used the Brussels Sprouts I already had on hand. The elements of the meal are essentially the same, but it's a slightly different menu than originally planned. THIS sort of meal planning doesn't throw me so very far off track where my inventory and need to use items are concerned. As you can see, in using an item I have that needs to be used and not making a trip to the store, I managed to save money twice (by not shopping and not wasting food).
Oven Baked Chicken, Squash Casserole, Rice (leftover), Green Peas. John doesn't like squash casserole. I do. So, the leftover rice will be heated up for him which will make him happy, and I'll get more squash casserole for myself, lol.
Old Fashioned Vegetable Beef Soup, Corn Bread.
Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Toast. I'm going to see if the kids want this for supper the night, I keep them and if they don't, I'll make the good old standby: pizza.
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5 comments:
We like a variety of winter squashes. I love to roast cubes of butternut squash. The roasted cubes are good on their own, but also good with other roasted vegetables on a salad. We tend to eat the acorn squash with butter and maybe a bit of brown sugar or maple syrup. I also use leftover squash in any pumpkin recipe, especially muffins or bread. And, butternut squash soup is one of my favorite fall soups.
My problem is simply getting them cooked and on the table! I hate to peel butternut squash. I also like to do squash when I have something else in the oven. I have to make myself cook them. Once cooked, we love eating them.
I enjoyed Lisa's video recently about not meal planning. She had some good pointers.
We do not as a rule, eat winter squashes except pumpkin pie. I've tried a few recipes, but neither of us enjoyed them. We do like delicata squash cut into rounds and roasted in the oven. They are not readily available around here, however.
I like spaghetti squash and keep cooked portions of it in the freezer. Just reheat and toss with olive oil or butter, and salt and pepper. My sister uses it as a substitute for pasta noodles, but I'm not so much a fan. Greg won't eat it at all.
I have no idea what we're having for suppers this week beyond tonight, and then using the leftovers from the weekend (rice and pork chops).
I use cooked squash of all varieties, hidden in things like chili, to get some nutrients into my vegetable hating husband. He never tastes the addition, so he is fine with me doing it. Also extends the chili or whatever, for another meal. I do make pumpkin without the crust and he likes that---sweet so he loves it.
Meals, even though planned, sometimes need to be altered for a variety of reasons. It does make sense to meal plan so as to make use of what is available and what needs to be used. We had planned for salmon patties, baked sweet potatoes, and possibly peas for our lunch but the morning was spent shopping with our daughter and it was late-ish to bake the sweet potatoes so I prepared the salmon patties and the Farmer peeled turnips, par--cooked them and sautéed them with onion. I opened a jar of our canned green beans and that was lunch. Actually it was a good meal and didn't take all that long. The Farmer raised several varieties of winter squash so those will be nice to add to the menu. Delicata is probably our favorite.
We love all the winter squash. Now that my husband is retired, he can start it cooking before I get home from work. Previously I would only make them on the weekend.
I really don’t meal plan , just suffer through the “what are we gonna make for dinner “
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