Menu Plan Monday 7/30-8/3

Let me be honest. I hate having to sit down weekly and plan out meals. So I started planning monthly after seeing some other smart mamas doing that via the Internet. It's such a relief to have the next four weeks planned out. I'm still going to the grocery store once a week, usually on Mondays to get what we need for the week, but it's usually a quick trip for just a few fresh ingredients.

I have to say all of this meal planning is saving us a LOT of money. It makes a huge difference when I plan what we're eating and just get what we need for those things each week. Usually I don't have to buy every single ingredient. We buy beef in bulk and freeze it and we keep a good supply of frozen chicken breasts around as well. Then there's things like pasta and some frozen veggies that we already have around. This is so. much. better. than shopping willy nilly and hoping we come up with some recipe ideas throughout the week. How did I ever get by without doing this??? Well I guess I didn't. My husband did all the cooking back when I was teaching full time. My feet always hurt too much. Now that I'm venturing into stay-at-home-momdom, I have more time to plan and cook and I'm loving it!

Here's what we're eating this week:

Monday: Chicken with green beans and red potatoes

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Girls Night Out! (First one post baby!)


Thursday: Pasta with mascarpone, chicken, spinach and sun dried tomatoes

Friday: Bunless burgers and sweet potato fries

Saturday: Greek Chicken with pita in crock pot- I used chicken breasts for this and they  turned out great. This could be done over rice for a gluten free option.

Sunday: Moe's or pizza

Thank goodness for Pinterest. Am I right? 

Check out the awesome gluten free meal plans at Musings of a Housewife. I'm linking up my mostly gluten free plan there.





Happy Eating and Olympic watching this week!!!

Menu Plan Monday: 7/9-7/13

Has anyone else heard of Food on the Table? I love this site and they have an app. Apps make me happy. Mostly I love it because I can see all the sales for my grocery store for the week and add needed items and recipe items to my grocery list in the app.

The recipes from this site are great too. I always love finding new recipe ideas because I tend to get in a rut. I really enjoy trying recipes for the first time. It keeps cooking more interesting. This week I'm trying two recipes from Food on the Table.

I found a link on a blog I was looking at, (can't remember which one) for a code to join Food on the Table for a year for free. The code was SUMMERFREE. Not sure if it's still valid, but it's worth a shot!

If I could change something about this site and app I would like to be able add in your own meals or recipes as part of the weekly meal plan. I'd also like for them to show meal plans in a chart or grid form for days of the week. I just like looking at it that way better.

Here's what we're having this week.

Monday: Saucy Crock Pot Chicken Thighs (I would link to it, but I think you have to join Food on the Table) and steamed veggies

Tuesday: Pot roast with mashed potatoes and veggies. I'm trying this recipe from Jo Lynne.

Wednesday: Korean Beef- Had this week before last and we loved it so much we're having it again.

Thursday: Italian sausage bake-also from Food on the Table and salad

Friday: frozen pizza, I know, healthy. But by Friday afternoons, I'm usually pretty exhausted and just don't have it in me.

Saturday: Probably Moe's and something Andrew cooks.

Sunday: Leftovers

I don't usually plan meals for the weekend even though I probably should. I feel like I need a break from planning and cooking all week so we usually have frozen pizza, leftovers, something my husband comes up with or take out. I'll probably start planning them soon, I just need to feel like the weekends are a break right now.

Happy eating this week!

I linked to Menu Plan Monday at Org Junkie and Menu Plan Monday at Musings of a Housewife.

The Best Buttermilk Biscuits

Growing up I spent a lot of time with my paternal grandparents, Nonnie and Pop Pop. I would spend the night at their house often and always woke up to the smell of bacon frying, strong black coffee and fluffy buttermilk biscuits. I have tried for years to re-create my grandmother's biscuits and this recipe from Southern Living is the closest I've come. Most of this recipe comes from Southern Living's 30 Years of Our Best Recipes on page 32 to be exact. By the way, this recipe is not technically a whole foods recipe, but it's delicious and every once in a while, you need to eat some buttermilk biscuits. 

In the food processor add 2 cups of self rising flour with 1/2 cup of cold butter.

                         

Pulse until it looks kind of crumb like.

At this point I add a little sugar, usually about a tablespoon. I like sweet biscuits. :) Pulse again.

Then put mixture in a bowl and add 3/4 cup of buttermilk. Once it's all combined, flour your hands and knead a couple of times in the bowl. Then, put dough on a floured surface. Knead a few more times and roll out to 3/4 inch thickness.

I cut my biscuits with my 1/2 cup measuring thingy. What do you call that thing? A cup? Anyway, I don't have a biscuit cutter, but this works great.

Put them on a greased baking sheet and bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes. 

Then they'll come out like this and be delicious!

This recipe makes 10-12 biscuits. Make a bunch and then enjoy them several mornings in a row for breakfast. Just pair them with some good protein and work out 10 minutes longer that day. It's worth it.

I have discovered menu planning!

I am really starting to enjoy cooking, (gasp! I know. Ok. Calm yourself back down now and keep reading) but I've noticed that I enjoy it a whole lot more when I plan out the meals a week or two in advance and go to the store to get all of my necessary ingredients at the beginning of the week. I'm just not one of those people who can whip something up with what I have in my pantry. I need structure, people.

So I found this free printable menu planner. It's AWESOME and I've been using it to plan meals and grocery lists two weeks in advance.

This week we'll be having:

Monday- Chicken with Wine & Feta, brown rice and steamed broccoli
Tuesday- Naan Bread Pizzas
Wednesday- burgers with sweet potato fries (Happy Fourth!)
Thursday- Herbed Chicken Rose, red mashed potatoes and side salad
Friday- Leftovers or take out from Moe's. I just love Moe's. Did you know that Moe's has an app? I  know! Shut up! You can order from your phone and just walk in and pick it up. Yes, I love technology...I tried to find a link to it, and couldn't, but if you search in the app store on your phone, it should come up.
Saturday- is our 5 year anniversary! I think we're getting take out from somewhere nice and eating at home.
Sunday-leftovers

I would like to say I got this idea and get lots of recipes from Jo Lynne. She has no idea who I am, but I really enjoy her blog and would like to give credit where credit is due. She does gluten free meal plans. I just modify some of those recipes for my gluten filled life.

I know this isn't a new concept, but I'm enjoying it and thought I'd share. I always love finding new recipes and these are all pretty easy since I'm a new mommy.

Buen provecho!

This post is part of Menu Plan Monday at Org Junkie and On the Menu Monday at Stone Gable Blog.

A New Favorite- Naan Bread Pizza

When my husband and I were trying to work more vegetable into our meals and I was having a hard time getting used to it because I didn't always enjoy vegetables, (I know, horrible, but true) he came up with this amazing meal that I now absolutely love, love, love.

We take a piece of garlic naan bread (bought pre-made from Publix, but we're working on getting some from the Indian store or making our own), baste it with extra virgin olive oil, put cut up cooked chicken, cut up white onion (small pieces), red bell pepper, whatever kind of cheese we have in the fridge, grated and Zahtar seasoning. I know you're thinking, "What the heck?" or at least I was. We got it from World Market, but I'm sure any seasonings that you like and that go with these foods would do. Then we bake this all on a cookie sheet at 375 until the cheese is melted and it's a little brown.

And here you have one of my new favorite meals. So flavorfully, amazingly, wonderful. Oh I love it.

Yes, we can all agree my photography skills need a little work, but you get the idea. Also, try to ignore the fact that I had already cut it into four pieces. I was hungry and ready to eat. Just be glad I stopped long enough to take a picture.   =)    Mmmm.....