Pantry Challenge Week 2

Last week's plan worked pretty well.  We only made one change - we had leftovers on Thursday night and soup was moved to Friday. On Saturday, we laid low and I tried a new recipe for roasted balsamic chicken and vegetables.  I had all the ingredients on hand, so I made it, but we didn't love it.  We ate it, but I'm not sure what I'll do with the leftovers.

On Sunday, Hubs had a planning meeting with a colleague for a joint field trip coming up, and that involved dinner.  It wasn't planned, but it was okay. I used a coupon and took ds#3 to his fave spot, Moe's.

The rest of the week will be pretty fluid.  My sister is moving on Tuesday, and we are all enlisted to help.  There's carpet to be removed, and tile to be busted, and painting to be done.  Oh my!  Here's the plan, but it is definitely subject to change.

Monday~ roast in the crockpot. Hubs has been fighting some sort of stomach bug all weekend, so we went with random leftovers: ds#3 ate his leftovers from Moe's; Hubs had rice; I had a baked potato with leftover balsamic chicken & veggies.

Tuesday~ moving day for my sis!!!  I will pick up ds#3 from tennis practice and head out to the new place.  She will probably text me to pick up dinner on the way (with funds from my grandmother).

Wednesday~ The roast that we didn't eat on Monday, along with the veggies, and perhaps some rice.

Thursday~ Hubs has a professor friend coming in town for the aforementioned field trip, so he will be out to dinner.  This has been planned for several months, so I don't count it against our challenge.

Friday~ Hubs may have dinner duty with his professor and friend, but if he does not, we will have a quiet dinner at home of spaghetti with gluten-free noodles.

Saturday~ Hubs will be with his professor all day so ds#3 & I will be on our own.  Depending on what my sister needs for move-in help, we may be there.

I did go to the grocery store on Sunday for items for lunches during the week.  I spent more than I wanted to, but some of that was food I didn't have on hand for Hubs' sensitive stomach and medicine as well.

Check out Menu Plan Monday for menu inspiration!

Wow - six months later....

Holy moly.
I guess you could say life has been busy!!

So now it's January, and we are beginning our annual Pantry Challenge.  Don't know what a pantry challenge is?  Get the details here.

Every January, I try to tighten our belts a little and use the food we have, as much as possible, for our meals.  Sometimes this forces me to get pretty creative.  Every January, I also go out of town for work for a few days.  For years, I tried to have my guys continue the Pantry Challenge while I was gone, but my husband hates to cook, so it never worked.  This year, I just decided to begin it after said trip.  So here we go!

For breakfast, Hubby almost always has eggs.  He loves eggs.  Ds#3 drinks a protein chocolate milk shake and sometimes some solid food.  I am not a normal fan of breakfast foods, so I have a cup of chai tea, and a protein bar or leftovers.

For lunches, I pack lunch boxes for everyone.  This week, Hubs will take chili, ds will take chicken & rice, both in their thermoses.  I have a microwave in my classroom, so I usually take whatever leftovers we have that need to be eaten.  This week, we've got some turkey that needs to be used, so I will make lettuce wraps until the turkey is gone.

Sunday~ Burgers on the grill, french fries in the oven.  I returned from my trip late Saturday night.  The leftovers were still in the fridge, as the guys chose to eat out for dinner while I was away.  I took stock, and we had patties in the freezer as well as frozen french fries.  I don't eat bread, but I made some gluten-free buns for my husband and son.  Quite satisfactory.

Monday~ Shepherds pie, an experiment.  I have seen a ton of recipes for shepherds pie, and have planned to try it many times, but it never materialized.  In light of the pantry challenge, I diced leftover short ribs (which were so tender and delicious!!), added the gravy from the first cooking/meal, kale from our garden, diced mushrooms, half a zucchini on its last leg, and some diced carrots.  I made mashed potatoes with some potatoes growing eyes, layered them on the beef and vegetables, then sprinkled a little cheddar cheese on top to convince any skeptics.  They liked it so well, that they agreed to have leftovers on Tuesday!

Tuesday~ leftover Shepherds pie!

Wednesday~ Hawaiian chicken with bell peppers and pineapple over rice.  I discovered this dish a couple of years ago on a pantry challenge when I needed to use up some chicken.  Hubs loved it, so it has become a regular on our rotation.  I've got everything I need!

Thursday~ Beef vegetable soup.  A hearty soup - almost like a chili - made with carrots, celery, kale, cabbage, diced tomatoes, and pretty much whatever veg you want to throw in.  Makes excellent leftovers too.




Friday~ Breakfast for dinner.  This is a comfort meal.  Eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries (with some diced peppers and mushrooms thrown in), and maybe grits.

Saturday~ I will assess where we are for the week and plan from there!

Check out Menu Plan Monday for menu inspiration.

Try your own Pantry Challenge and get ideas at Good Cheap Eats!

The end of July menu

July is coming to a close.
School starts for us next week.
Sigh...summer is done.

Also, hubby is home after a month away at grad school (laundry has quadrupled) and I will be traveling to a music convention at the end of the week.  So there's that.

And while I'm certain my guys will eat out while I'm gone, I'm doing my best to make food readily accessible at the house so it will be just as easy to grab something from the fridge.

Here's the plan.
Sunday~
lunch: snack at the house
dinner: out for my Grandpa's 88th birthday
Monday~ 
lunch: miscellaneous items and leftovers as I clean out the fridge
dinner: Hawaiian chicken, rice, broccoli
Tuesday~
lunch: tomato sandwiches (from the garden) or salad
dinner: at Son #1 & DIL's house. My job is to bring jalapeño poppers and Paleo-friendly chocolate chip cookies.
Wednesday~
I leave to go out of town.  Leaving my guys with:
spaghetti
salad
brisket
sandwich fixings
Hopefully the damage won't be too bad.
Thursday-Saturday~
I will be away at the convention and my guys will be...doing what they do. ;)

Sunday after I return, we'll have lunch at my mom's house, so I will have a day to plan the following week. Yay for Mom's lasagna!!!

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Second Menu of July... and other things

Our 4th of July celebration was so much fun - family, baseball, fireworks... very full weekend and heart.

This week, school is on my mind.  While it is still early summer for most people, my thoughts are beginning to turn to my classroom in August.  Which I wish I could stop, but after 25 years, I guess I'm conditioned.

Anyway, hubs has two more weeks away at grad classes, and ds#3 continues to eat everything in sight.  I made a quiche for breakfast last week and he ate ALL BUT TWO PIECES IN ONE DAY.  Yeah, he's a machine.
Here's the plan for this week.

Sunday~ 
Lunch: at my mom & dad's.  Mom, sis & I bought two boxes of peaches last week and I picked up the rest of Mom's to freeze for her.  So she made lunch. :)
Dinner: Fend For YourSelf.  Neither of us was really hungry.
Monday~
Lunch: with ds#1 & family.  Details TBD.
Dinner: Chicken Bacon Alfredo.  Made from leftover chicken from last week, and coconut milk instead of regular dairy.  Ds#3 will eat over noodles.  I'll eat mine over broccoli.
Tuesday~
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Eggplant (from the garden) Parmesan with spaghetti (for ds#3, just eggplant for me)
Wednesday~ 
Lunch: salad w/cherry tomatoes from the garden & baked potato (if needed)
Dinner: BBQ chicken (crockpot), broccoli, chips
Thursday~
Lunch: pizza for ds, salad for me
Dinner: leftovers. I have a rehearsal.
Friday~
Lunch: out
Dinner: Burgers at home!
Saturday~
Leaving it open.  My brother-in-law has a concert that evening that we'll attend, so we may treat ourselves to a meal out.

What menu marvels are you cooking?  Share 'em at Menu Plan Monday!

July's first menu

Grandparents and great-grandparents
with my sis's baby girl.

It's been a whirlwind weekend.
My brother has been here from out of town, so we've gone fishing, had a family cookout, gone to a baseball game, and beach with fireworks. Whew!  The rest of this week will probably be a little quieter.

Jalapeno poppers

Sunday~ lunch: leftovers at home; dinner: at the ballpark
Monday~ lunch: at the beach picnic; dinner: leftovers from the picnic at the fireworks
Tuesday~ lunch: eggplant 'pie' for me and pizza rolls for ds; dinner: I'm going to try my hand at fish.... we'll see how it goes... and a baked potato and salad
Wednesday~ lunch: out w/a friend for me, and ds will fend for himself at home; dinner: homemade chili
Thursday~ lunch: leftovers; dinner: rotiserrie-style chicken in the crockpot, salad or broccoli
Friday~ lunch: leftovers; dinner: out w/the girls for me, and ds will have frozen pizza
Saturday~ TBD... we'll see what veggies we have and what needs to be eaten! :)

Eggplant pie - all ingredients fresh from the garden!
(Except the cheese)

Share what's cookin' in your kitchen at Menu Plan Monday!

Wrapping Up June Menu!

Wow, what a busy week we had!
Hubs left on Sunday for a month of grad classes in Ohio, so ds#3 and I are on our own for a few weeks.  We'll be having a pantry challenge to try to save a little money (we had to buy a new fridge!).

So here's our menu plan for this week:
Sunday~ leftover burgers from last week's cookout

Monday~ leftover taco meat and homemade salsa
Tuesday~ ds is spending the night with his big brother, who has moved back in town.  So I will probably eat something simple at the house by myself, or use a gift card to splurge
Wednesday~ ds will still be gone, so I'm having a girls night with my sis & friend!!
Thursday~ salad
Friday~ the men of my family are going fishing, so we will probably have some sort of fish fry at my parents' house
Saturday~ beach day and picnic with the fam

Not terribly exciting, but it'll get the job done!

Share what's cookin' in your casa at Menu Plan Monday.

June Menu #3 and garden updates

Jalapeños are going crazy.  Using them in poppers and homemade salsa.

Homemade salsa!  Cherry tomatoes, jalapeños from the garden.  Fresh and delicious.

Holy moly - the eggplant!  If you have recipes, do share!!

This week's menu:

Sunday~ HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! Hubs requested homemade sub sandwiches for lunch, tacos for dinner, and peach cobbler for dessert.  Marine Son & his family joined us for dinner, so it was a great end to his happy day.  And easy for me!

Monday~  Pizza-stuffed peppers that we didn't get to last week.  We will also have leftover meatballs, and use some eggplant in fried eggplant spears.

Tuesday~  Big chef's salads.  The tomatoes are starting to come in and they are gorgeous! 

Wednesday~ BBQ chicken in the crockpot, Paleo 'cornbread', and whatever veg is coming in from the garden.  Maybe some fried okra.

Thursday~ Family cookout for the extended family to meet Marine Son's new baby girl! Since they've just arrived from Hawaii, none of the family has met her yet, and we are ALL excited to have another GIRL around!!! 

Friday~  Leftovers. Something very simple.

Saturday~ The last meal we will share with Hubs for a month - he leaves to go take graduate classes.  So this will be his request.

What's cookin' in your kitchen?  Share at Menu Plan Monday 

Summertime Menus! June Menu #2

Our garden is in full swing!!!
We altered our menu plan a little bit based on what was ripening in the garden.  This week will probably be the same way!
Last week.....
Sunday~ Five Guys Burgers.  Mmmmm.
Monday~ Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad.  A long name for a delicious salad!  I used leftover smoked chicken in the recipe. This was very tasty, but did not keep well for the next day.  When I make it again, I will keep the components separate and assemble just enough for that meal.  The avocado lime dressing was DELICIOUS!
Tuesday~ Kabobs (steak and chicken) and more jalapeño poppers.  Gotta use that garden produce!  We ended up having Pizza Stuffed Peppers because we had some bell peppers that were ripe.  Just fill with your favorite pizza toppings and bake.  Delish!  We will make that again.
Wednesday~ Meatball casserole. Unless the eggplant in the garden are ready.  At which point we will have eggplant parmesan!  I did make meatballs but I also made eggplant parmesan.  And it was delicious!!!
Thursday~ Antipasto Salad A Pinterest recipe. (C'mon... it's summer...)  Leftovers.  I love the relaxed pace of summertime meals!
Friday~ Burgers on the grill.  Yummy.  Hubs & I ended up going to dinner - we were dropping off items for a church rummage sale at that time so we stopped to grab a bite.
Saturday~ Hubs & I are celebrating 22 years of marriage.  We're going out to fondue!

So this week, there will probably be some of the same adjustments....
Sunday~ Beef on the grill. Tomato basil salad (like a caprese salad) using up some of the basil and cherry tomatoes that are ripening, roasted baby potatoes, grilled zucchini.  Yum!
Monday~ Burgers on the grill, chips, jalapeño poppers (they are exploding in the garden!), grilled pineapple.  I keep the poppers pretty mild by seeding and removing all the ribs inside the peppers.  My teenager LOVES these.  We're having dinner guests. Fun times!
Tuesday~ Leftovers.
Wednesday~ Eggplant pie (slices of eggplant as the base, topped with various veggies, sprinkled with cheese, baked in the oven), spaghetti for the non-veggie lovers :)
Thursday~  Leaving this open for leftovers or dinner out.
Friday~ My sister & I have a date with our dad to celebrate Father's Day.  My guys will fend for themselves.
Saturday~  Marine Son & his family are flying home... to stay! We will meet them at the airport then go to Olive Garden to celebrate their arrival.

So... what summertime delicacies are you enjoying? Share at Menu Plan Monday!

June Menus!

Holy moly, it's summer!
We survived the school year and have now entered the somewhat more relaxed pace of summertime.  Our garden is in full swing and we are just beginning to harvest some of its bounty - the best part.

Our former Airman Son flew back to his home in Denver after staying with us for about 4 weeks. Here's last week's menu while he was still here:
Sunday: BBQ chicken, onion rings, wedge salad  baseball game with the fam that evening
Monday: Family cookout - burgers, dogs, sausage on the grill, jalapeño poppers (the peppers came fresh from our garden!), potato salad & deviled eggs courtesy of my mom, and broccoli salad courtesy of my sister.  We had ice cream pie and homemade apple cherry pie for dessert.
Tuesday: Fend For Yourself
Wednesday: hubs decided it was a good day for smoked meat.  Smoked brisket, smoked chicken breast, tossed salad, jalapeño cheddar 'cornbread' (Paleo style).
Thursday: Another Fend For Yourself.  Son #2 flew out, I had to sit in on job interviews for our school's band director, and I had a rehearsal that evening.
Friday: ds#3 had buddies over for basketball so I ordered pizza.  Everyone picked at it all afternoon into dinnertime.
Saturday: breakfast for dinner.

This week's plan:
Sunday~ Five Guys Burgers.  Mmmmm.
Monday~ Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad.  A long name for a delicious salad!  I used leftover smoked chicken in the recipe.
Tuesday~ Kabobs (steak and chicken) and more jalapeño poppers.  Gotta use that garden produce!
Wednesday~ Meatball casserole. Unless the eggplant in the garden are ready.  At which point we will have eggplant parmesan!
Thursday~ Antipasto Salad A Pinterest recipe. (C'mon... it's summer...)
Friday~ Burgers on the grill.  Yummy.
Saturday~ Hubs & I are celebrating 22 years of marriage.  We're going out to fondue!

What about you?  What's cookin' in your casa?  Are you gardening?
Check out Menu Plan Monday for more ideas.

April Menu Wrap-up

So this week, we ate out more than I would have liked, but life is so busy that I feel like it's an accomplishment just to get us all fed, regardless of where it comes from!

Son #2 is visiting us, and we love having him here.  Son #3 is getting busier, as are his dad and I, and it's reflected in the time I haven't spent in the kitchen.  Ah well.  We shall try again this week. :)

Sunday~ I made pulled BBQ chicken and an apple-cabbage slaw for the guys, and I headed out with my mom and a dear friend to have a last shop for my sister before her baby girl arrives.  We ate lunch out and shopped and laughed and had a marvelous time.
Monday~ Miscellaneous must-goes.  Hubs has online class right after work, so it's a fend-for-yourselves sort of dinner.  Everyone hunts in the fridge for what they like.
Tuesday~ More leftovers.
Wednesday~ I had a dinner meeting, but I cooked for my guys before I left.  I made iceberg lettuce wedge salads (they are LOVING those) with homemade dressing, and choice of spaghetti or alfredo with pasta.  There were very little leftovers!
Thursday~ Hubs came home from work feeling sick.  He requested a burger from Five Guys for dinner, so that's what we did.
Friday~ Ds#3 had an after-school rehearsal, so we hit the drive-thru on the way home and had Chick-fil-A for all.  Hubs stayed home as he was not 100% (I'm not sure he was even 75%) so this was an easy dinner for Mom.
Saturday~ Hubs is feeling better.  Woo hoo!!!  Burgers on the grill - delish!!!!

Connect with Menu Plan Monday and share what's cookin' in your casa!
Also check out Meal Plan Monday at Southern Plate. Delish!

Holy Moly, it's April.

Well.
We've been busy.... I guess that's an understatement.
Life has been very full and we are still alive and well.

Because I cannot seem to get my act together to post what we are eating for the coming week, I will post what we have eaten... for now, anyway. :)

Son #2, formerly Airman Son, has been visiting this month, and we are thrilled to have him home after living all over the place.  So our menus have been a little more reflective of that.

In other news, we've got bell peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes planted in the garden.  We also have basil and rosemary, and lemon balm (I'm so excited about this one - it smells so amazing!!!).  We still have collards and lavender to plant, which will happen this weekend.  The blueberries are blooming and it is so exciting to see all the growing things.


Sunday~ Steaks on the grill, iceberg wedge salad, oven-roasted parmesan zucchini wedges (they were not as good as they sound... they were tasty, but I'll change up the recipe when I try them again.)
Monday~ Spaghetti for the guys, zucchini boats for me.  (I stuffed the zucchini with the spaghetti sauce and baked in the oven.  Pretty tasty.)
Tuesday~ Homemade meatballs, mashed potatoes & gravy, broccoli.  Cozy and scrumptious after a messy rainy day.
Wednesday~ Hubs & I had tickets to see our local baseball team play. It rained all day, so we weren't sure it was actually going to happen, but we managed to get in a quick dinner date and a few innings at the ballpark before we decided it was too cold. We called it in the 4th inning. ;)
Thursday~ Tacos.  With meat, cheese, avocado, salsa, sour cream... all the trimmings.  Messy and delicious.
Friday~ Must-goes.  There is chicken, spaghetti sauce, and random other bits.  And there are always eggs to fill in the gaps if someone can't find something they like!
Saturday~ TBD. Grocery day.

Marvelous Menus abound at Menu Plan Monday!

What we've been eating, and the (Failed) Pantry Challenge

Well, I usually do a Pantry Challenge in January.  But this year, I failed.
It didn't happen.
So I'm moving it to FEBRUARY!!!!! :)

Life has been chaotic and unpredictable, and I had to go out of town for nearly a week, so I decided not to sweat the pantry challenge.  Although we do really need to save some money, it will be in the upcoming month instead of this one.

So here's what we've been eating in the midst of our craziness:
Sunday~ Out to lunch.  I had been out of town almost all of the preceding week, and needed to go to the grocery store.  So we went out.
Monday~ Rotisserie-style chicken and steamed broccoli.
Tuesday~ various leftovers in the fridge.
Wednesday~ Tacos.  I tried a gluten-free tortilla, and it was surprisingly good!
Thursday~ Fend For Yourself.  Mom had a late practice.
Friday~ BBQ chicken, twice baked potatoes (from the freezer), broccoli
Saturday~ Tomato soup.  It is COLD.
Sunday~ A pretty amazing Sausage, Potato and Spinach soup.  I put it in the slow cooker and let it simmer while we were at church.  When I got home, I added the spinach, and made some cheesy bread for my guys.  It was a hit with everyone - my 15 y.o. said, "I can't even taste the spinach," to which my husband replied, "But it's so good for you".... MY HEART WAS PROUD!! And I forgot to add the cream - my guys loved it without.

This week should be a little calmer, and payday is this week.  (It's been six weeks since our last payday, so we are READY for it!!!!)

Share your menu marvels at Menu Plan Monday!

Pantry Challenge for a New Year?

Christmas was wonderful -

we celebrated with family and friends who were here, and called and sent pictures with those who are far away (but they will all be here next year!!!).

We ate a lot and enjoyed each other's company and exchanged gifts.

And, of course, talked about the upcoming year.

Each year, we usually do a pantry challenge in January.  It is a way for us to be more mindful of our grocery budget and use what we have.  I've learned that we are pretty good at repurposing leftovers and using them up.  Going out to eat is a way to handle stress for my hubby, and we haven't yet figured that one out!  He has, however, agreed to try a gluten-free diet for the new year.  And since sometimes, with dietary restrictions, it's easier to eat at home, I'm hopeful.

So I'll be working on a plan for the month during the course of this week, but for now, here's a New Year's week plan :)

Sunday~ leftovers... turkey breast, mashed potatoes, swiss beans, cranberry sauce

Monday~ Chicken Parmesan with gluten free noodles, and a tossed salad.  I was sent a sample of Ronzoni's Gluten Free pasta, so we will try it with this.

Tuesday~ Doctor's appointments and hitting lessons call for something fast and easy.  I think tacos will do.

Wednesday~ Ds#3 has an appointment with an allergist :( We have decided to treat him afterward... so whether it's a movie or out to dinner, we'll see what he wants to do, and then go for it.  (If it doesn't include dinner, we will probably have leftovers when we get home.)

Thursday~ New Year's Eve! We are typically a low-key group for New Years.  We hardly ever have big plans.  So unless something changes, we'll be staying in, and will have a simple dinner of breakfast.

Friday~ Happy New Year!  Having some friends over for a cookout.  Grilling burgers & hotdogs, and friends will bring the trimmings.  Here's to a great 2016!

Saturday~ TBD.  Getting organized for the new year and mapping a menu to match. ;)

Share your plans at Menu Plan Monday!

Catching my breath... and this week's menu (and other adventures!)

Merry Christmas!

It's been three months... life has been a whirlwind but we are all doing fine.

Ds#3 has started high school.

We've had concerts.

Marine Son & his wife welcomed a sweet baby girl just in time for Christmas.
A GIRL, ya'll!!!

I'm excited.

(We have ALL BOYS in our family.)

Isn't she beautiful???

And we have eaten well; it's just been crazy busy and I haven't posted it!
This week will be full of family gatherings and celebrations, and lots of good food.
Sunday~ burgers on the grill (courtesy of Hubs) for lunch; chicken broccoli alfredo for dinner (over egg noodles for the guys, and with mushrooms and broccoli for me).  I just make this in a skillet instead of baking it in the oven.
Monday~ leftovers for lunch (pizza, Sunday night's leftovers, or sandwich stuff if they so desire).  For dinner, I'm going out to dinner to celebrate a friend, so my boys will fend for themselves.
Tuesday~ I'm not planning for lunch.  I'm getting my hair cut, so I may not be home.  For dinner, it'll be something quick as ds#3 has a hitting lesson.
Wednesday~ Our annual family Christmas dinner with my grandparents.  This year, we'll be going to a favorite local spot that is closing at the first of the year, so we're creating one last memory there.  Then we'll go to my grandparents' house for presents and dessert.
Thursday~ My brother and niece will be in town, so we will go have dinner at my parents' house.  It will be wonderful to see them; I'm sure we'll have lots of shenanigans as well as some good food (my mom's a great cook!).
Friday~ MERRY CHRISTMAS!  It will be just Hubs, ds#3, and me.  We've decided to go non-traditional and have steak on the grill, with mashed potatoes and our family recipe of Swiss beans (a variation on green bean casserole).  I will make pecan pie and pumpkin pie, because those are my guys' favorites, and top with homemade whipped cream.
Saturday~ We'll be having leftovers, because the week will be filled with lots of feasting!

Here's a wish from our family to yours, that your holidays are filled with joy and peace.
Please visit Menu Plan Monday for menu inspiration!

And now it's September :) A Labor Day Menu

It's been a month since I've posted!  ACK!
You can rest assured that life has been speeding ahead and everyone's been eating just fine...
We've been swamped getting back into school routines.
And ds#3 has begun playing Fall Baseball, so it's not slowing down.
We've been lucky the past three years while he's been in middle school - his activities have been our activities too, since he went to school where Hubs & I both teach.  That has come to an end, however, as he is stepping into high school.  Sigh.

So this week's menu looks like this:
Sunday~ family cookout.   Burgers, dogs, shrimp, with potato salad, cheese & cracker salad (a family recipe), broccoli salad, pineapple, chocolate chip cookies and brownies.  And there were even leftovers. :)
Monday~ leftover chicken (from last week) gets morphed into BBQ chicken (with a bun or without), hotdogs from yesterday, leftover potato salad, and baked beans.  Ball practice later this evening.
Tuesday~ previously cooked and frozen beef roast with gravy and mashed potatoes.  Tonight is high school's Open House, so I'll cook everything ahead to reheat and eat quickly.
Wednesday~ Tacos or taco salad or nachos.  Again, a fast, easy meal, as Hubs has bowling.
Thursday~ ball practice night, and Hubs' online grad class which starts before we get home.  A snack beforehand, and then every man for himself.
Friday~ WHEW - a night at home!!  Rotisserie-style chicken in the crockpot, baked potatoes, tossed salad and broccoli.  Comfort food at the end of a very busy week.
Saturday~ TBD.  We have a brisket in the freezer, and Hubs may smoke it, depending on the weather.

What's cookin' in your casa?  

What suggestions do you have have for fast, easy meals on busy nights?

Share at Menu Plan Monday!

August Menu #2, back at work!

Well, the day has come...
teachers are back to work.
Kids come next week.
Usually I am ready for more routine days, but this year I am longing for just a little more time.
Perhaps it is because my youngest boy begins high school this year... a bittersweet milestone.  He, of course, is very excited.

And what will we eat, you may ask?
Here it is:
Sunday~ spaghetti for lunch, and hotdogs for dinner.  Hubs is watching his beloved Pittsburgh Pirates on TV (which is a rarity) and he asked for celebratory dogs.
Monday~ BBQ chicken (sandwiches for the guys, over a baked potato for me)
Tuesday~ Fend For YourSelf.  Mom has a late meeting.
Wednesday~ Tacos
Thursday~ Greek chicken in the crockpot, rice, steamed broccoli
Friday~ Breakfast or nachos.  Depends on what we're in the mood for!
Saturday~ Something on the grill

Get some menu inspiration at Menu Plan Monday!

School's coming... August Menu #1

I did not go out of town last week, because I caught a horrible virus.
Which gave me a no good, very bad, horrible day (or two).
And I could not drive.
Because I kept running to the bathroom.
I have not been that sick in a very long time.
Luckily, I had made a huge batch of spaghetti and taco meat, so my guys had plenty to eat because there was no way I was setting foot in the kitchen.  I was doing good to make it from the couch to the bed (or bathroom).
I feel much better now - nothing like a nasty virus to make you appreciate feeling good!

In other news....
It's here.
August.
School officially begins for teachers in one week; students will come back in two.
And because any work I really want to get done will have to happen this week, I may as well consider myself back to work.
Sigh.
And my baby is starting high school.
(I may or may not be freaking out about that fact.)

In the meantime, here's what we're eating this week.
Sunday~  for lunch, chicken bacon broccoli alfredo, with noodles for the guys.  For dinner, pancakes made with Pamela's.  It's better than Bisquick, which is hubby's preference.
Monday~ interviews at school, so the crockpot to the rescue.  Fiesta chicken with rice (sub cheddar cheese, and leave out the black beans and corn).
Tuesday~ burgers on the grill, thanks to Hubs, served with coleslaw and fries.
Wednesday~ breakfast for dinner is the plan, but this could change.
Thursday~ sloppy joes (no bread for me), the rest of the coleslaw, and fries.  Unless I feel very ambitious, in which case I will make homemade fried okra with the crop in our freezer.
Friday~ the guys are going fishing, so I'm leaving this open.  Our 'Plan B' is leftovers.
Saturday~ TBD, but possibly smoking a brisket from the freezer.  This will depend on whether or not Hubs feels like doing it, and how the weather is (rain makes it difficult...)

Share your plans at Menu Plan Monday!

July Menu #5... heading into August

Summer is drawing down.
Even though it's still plenty hot here (heat index of 113, anyone??),  the end of July signals back-to-school.
I'll be out of town at a pre-school convention toward the end of the week, and then it'll be a flurry of back-to-school activity until we are officially back on the clock.

Hubs is back from a month of grad studies in Ohio, and we have loved having him back home.  We have feasted our way through this week, and I am getting used to having his appetite back in the kitchen. :)

Meanwhile, ds#3 continues to eat everything in sight.  I have resorted to buying cereal to keep him fed.  Yes, yes I have.

On the menu this week:
Sunday~ dinner with the fam to celebrate my grandfather's birthday.  He's 87 years young.
Monday~ I will have a night out with the girls and the boys will use a gift card to Chick-fil-A.
Tuesday~ Sticky chicken in the crockpot, twice baked potatoes, coleslaw, broccoli
Wednesday~ I'll make a big pot of spaghetti for the boys before I hit the road.
Thurs - Sat~ I'm out of town, so the guys will be fending for themselves.  There are plenty of options to eat at the house, but I'm sure they will eat out a couple of times.

What's cookin' in your casa?

Share at Menu Plan Monday!

July menu #4... and my man is home!

My husband has been away for a month taking grad classes, and he got home this weekend.  AND WE ARE ALL SO HAPPY!!!!!!





In other news, I got 25 pounds of peaches to deal with this week.  In case you were wondering, this is what 25 pounds of peaches looks like:

I have made peach crisp, peach cobbler, peach tea, and frozen some slices for later.  I shared some with my mom & sister.  And I still have a few more peaches to go.

Here's what's on the menu this week:
Sunday~ Hawaiian chicken, rice, broccoli.  Peach cobbler for dessert.
Monday~ Spaghetti, tossed salad, garlic cheese biscuits (if I get to it).
Tuesday~ Breakfast for dinner: eggs, bacon, hash browns, fruit
Wednesday~ To a baseball game with the fam.  We'll eat at the stadium.
Thursday~ BBQ chicken, coleslaw, potato salad
Friday~ Burgers on the grill and any leftover sides we like
Saturday~ Tacos with all the trimmings!

For lunches this week:
ham or turkey slices with salad (like a chef salad), or on bread if someone prefers a sandwich
chicken salad
frozen pizza
loaded potatoes
leftovers from any meal

I have found that during the summer, if I don't have some sort of plan for lunch, I will spend more time and money at the grocery store than I would like.  So... while leftovers are always a choice, we've got some other options as well.  Plus my teenager is handling most of the leftovers these days.

Share your menu marvels at Menu Plan Monday!

 

Hot July, and menu #3

Holy moly, it is hot.
Heat indexes are soaring into the 100s daily, with not much rain to cool things off.
So what's a body to do?
Lucky for us, Sonic had ice cream cones at half price this week...
so that was a nice treat.
Meanwhile, I've gotten some super-fun freebies during the last month.  My favorite is probably Tazo tea from Smiley360 - I got a coupon for a free box, and have been loving this to cool off on our hot days.


But as long as the air conditioning works, we will be fine.  We just don't do anything outside between 12-3p.m.  :)

As far as our menu, last week was all mixed up.
But everyone ate, and it's all good:
Monday~ chef salad for me, turkey sandwich with chips for ds.   
this became a fend-for-yourself sort of night...
Tuesday~ out to dinner with the girls :)  Ds & my dad will do something fun.
this actually happened!
Wednesday~ Broccoli Chicken Alfredo (with noodles for ds)
this turned into loaded baked potatoes - topped with some leftover chicken, cheese & broccoli
Thursday~ Leftover spaghetti (from dinner out last week) for ds and some other leftover concoction for me.  
first, there was no leftover spaghetti because ds is eating me out of house and home.  But we ended up meeting my mom, sis & her boys at chick-fil-a and mom bought dinner.
Friday~ Sloppy Joes -on bread for ds, on a sweet potato for me. 
this is where we had the broccoli chicken alfredo above.  Ds LOVED it and requested that it make a regular occurrence on the menu.
Saturday~ Frittata with ham, cheese, and broccoli (really more of an egg bake, but you get the idea).  I'll probably make hash browns for ds, and we'll have some fruit too.

Where we used to have leftovers to eat for lunch, they are vanishing.  My son is eating tremendous amounts of food!  So if I want leftovers, I'm going to have to double recipes and stash it.
Sunday~ chili in the crockpot
Monday~ salad, loaded baked potatoes (sweet potato for me)
Tuesday~ going to see The Minions, so we'll prob have dinner out with my mom, sis & boys after.
Wednesday~ leftover chili (I'm making a big batch!)
Thursday~ sloppy joes that never made it last week
Friday~ my mom is coming over to teach me how to make her famous potato salad, so I'm leaving things open.
Saturday~ HUBBY COMES HOME!!!!  Ham slices (from freezer), swiss beans, twice baked potatoes, salad.  And peach cobbler.

This week will be busy - ds is working with friends at VBS every day, and I'm expecting 25 pounds of peaches, so I'll be dealing with those (hence the peach cobbler for Hubs).  My man has been gone a month, so I am anxiously awaiting the weekend.

What's cookin' in your casa?  Share at Menu Plan Monday!