Monday... MENU!!!

Last week, I did not even post a menu plan. We did, however, eat! In fact, we ate roast with gravy on Sunday, went out on Monday (L-O-N-G Story - not planned, but necessary), ate homemade breakfast skillets on Tuesday (potatoes, scrambled eggs, sauteed 'shrooms, bell peppers, etc.), inherited food from my grandmother on Wednesday, had penne w/meat sauce on Thursday, pizza on Friday, and chicken on Saturday. :)
That brings us to this week.
Sunday~ BBQ chicken, collard greens (from our garden), rice, cornbread, tossed salad
Monday~ Burgers on the grill pan, chips or pasta salad
Tuesday~ son #2 comes home on leave from USAF... we will grill steaks, have mashed potatoes, tossed salad, and bread. Ice cream cake to top off our celebration (we've not seen him since June).
Wednesday~ hubby has class, so something simple - it will probably be just ds#3 and me.
Thursday~ Breakfast for dinner: waffles, sausage, hashbrown casserole, eggs
Friday~ Chili
Saturday~ Fish Fry at my parents' house

Check out other fantastic menus at Menu Plan Monday!

Frugal Friday Question

I don't have anything earth-shattering to share on this Frugal Friday post, but I do have a question that begs a frugal solution.
I have been given some vegetables - broccoli, carrots, cauliflower,and squash - that have already been cooked. Now this may sound deliciously delightful to some, but my family will not eat any of those veggies except broccoli. My husband will not touch cauliflower. No way. Childhood nightmares. So, here's my question:
What can I do with these vegetables???? I do not want to throw them away... I would bear the shame of wasted food when there are children starving in Africa, and even some in our own city. What can I do with them? Please, frugal mavens, help me!

Works for Me Wednesday

I am so far behind in posting that it's not even funny.... but I decided I would post about this:
I got an immersion blender for my birthday earlier this month. I asked for one - and I am so glad I did!!! I have been wanting to try making smoothies for a while - mostly because I know we need more fruits in our diet, and I figured this would be an easy way to get them in. I'm still working on ds#3 - no seeds or fruit remnants for him - but dh & I have been loving them for breakfast. Strawberry, blueberry, mixed berry, peach... you name it and we're making it!!!

What's working for you? Share, and view more great ideas at Rocks In My Dryer.
(Have I mentioned how much I love the name of that blog???)

It's another Menu Plan Monday

Last week....
Tuesday night, hubby had a lecture to attend, which I had forgotten about, so ds#3 and I shared a frozen pizza. Friday night, I had planned to cook, then hubby wanted to go out, then after work we were all DOG TIRED, so I nuked a lasagna and we stayed in. And went out Saturday night. And it wasn't even that good. Which only reinforces my desire to eat at home... where I control the quality of our food.
So, this week:
Sunday~ Spaghetti again, and some yummy zucchini fries
Monday~ Club sandwiches, pasta salad or chips
Tuesday~ Beef stroganoff in the crockpot over egg noodles, tossed salad
I make my stroganoff using cubed beef, a can of brown or mushroom gravy (NOT cream of), and sour cream. Add mushrooms and any other herbs you like. Sooooo easy.
Wednesday~ Hubby has class, so ds & I will probably have something very simple - maybe pancakes.

Thursday, Friday & Saturday, hubby will be out of town at a conference. So my plan is to clean out the fridge, use up the leftovers, and maybe experiment with a gorgeous eggplant I need to use.

How 'bout you? What's cookin' this week? Visit Organized Junkie for more fabulous ideas.

Another Monday, another menu

Have I mentioned lately how tired I am since school has started? I'm even taking vitamins, and I'm so exhausted when I fall into bed at night that I go right to sleep. Alas, we plod onward. And pray that we are supernaturally rejuvenated!

So last week's menu was pretty much a bust. I did make the shepherd's pie, but I used leftover roast instead of ground beef. We went out to eat for my birthday, and then again on Thursday night just because hubby insisted, and Friday, we ate leftovers. Saturday, we got adventurous and had steak on the grill. My plan is for this week to be a little better.

Sunday~ Spaghetti and meatballs with homemade tomato sauce, tossed salad, garlic bread
Monday~ Steak salad (using leftover steak from Saturday), loaded baked potatoes
Tuesday~ Hubby has a lecture to attend, so it will be just son & me, so we'll have pizza from the freezer.
Wednesday~ Breakfast. I have a yummy hashbrown casserole to try.
Thursday~ Open house at son's elementary school ... something super fast - Pork BBQ sandwiches & fries
Friday~ Tacos

Check out Organized Junkie for menu inspiration of all kinds!

Frugal Friday... better late than never...

On being frugal and practical....
I can't say how exhausted I have been on Friday since school has begun again. Getting back in the school year routine always takes some time. But I've been teaching for 17 years (GASP - it's hard to believe I've been doing ANYTHING besides just LIVING that long!) and I have never been as tired as I am this year.

My sweet and darling son has become an absolute BEAR in the afternoon. Or evening, really - it's after 5pm when I pick him up because our genius school board decided that we should start and end school an hour later. So my baby is starving and on the verge of a meltdown. His daddy is not much better. And I am already tired so I am in no mood for it. What's the answer?

Well, this week, it has been going out to eat.
I'm almost ashamed to say it. It hasn't been extravagant places - they've been pretty cheap, actually. But it hasn't been homecooked meals. Somebody else has made our food. And I've paid them to do it.

Sometimes, ya just gotta survive. I'll get back to cooking next week.