Menu Plan Monday

Here I am again with Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday. I was tempted not to do this for this week because it is just so busy and I know some of it I probably won't get to. However, I was remembering something I heard from Inge Canon years ago. Paraphrased by me to fit my lingo. Yes, you can be flexible. This does not mean you don't have a plan. For if you don't have a plan, you have nothing to flex. Without a plan you are flying by the seat of your pants and living haphazardly -- NOT being flexible! So I decided to have a plan:)

If you just came for the menu plan and don't care to read about my shenanigans, just scroll down for my Menu Plan! Please visit again after Tuesday when I find out what fresh produce comes in our produce bag from the farm. Also, please see my note at the very end of this post where I review the food we ate last week. Have a great week!



This week our oldest son is graduating. Unbelievable. Bittersweet. Exciting. Andrew is in love with languages, the globe, and the peoples of the earth so, in honor of his graduation, a couple of nights are themed for different countries.

We also have some grad related and non-grad related family activities this week. My menu plan needs to fit our crazy week. The weather is also (finally) expected to be a little warmer, as in the upper 60's and low 70's and comfortable (I am extra grateful since my son's graduation party is outdoors!). So my plan will take this into consideration.

This is also the first week of our CSA (June's harvest is expected to include strawberries, blueberries, cherries, basil, potatoes, fava beans, green beans, wax beans, roma beans, beets, cut flowers, lettuce, edible pea pods, swiss chard, kohlrabi, carrots, parsley, chives, cauliflower, broccoli, potted flowers or herbs). So I am including possible ideas but am leaving room in each day's plan to add fresh veggies and new recipes depending on what actually comes in my bag. And my overall plan is subject to change to incorporate as many of these local goodies into our meals. I am a veggie lover so I am really excited!COME BACK after Tuesday to see what veggies we got and to view the recipes I add to use them!

MONDAY:
Mexican Food Night Taco Salad (see recipe below)
(Before bed: Marinate chicken for tomorrow, soak garbanzo beans)

TUESDAY:
Middle Eastern Food night -- Shish Tawook Marinated Chicken, Homemade Hummus (basic in book Nourishing Taditions but I add cilantro and etc.) , Tabouli (from Nourishing Traditions), Pita Bread, Fava Bean Dip

Drop son off at friend's house 35 minutes away then to zoo with extended family. Pick up 1st Harvest Box at CSA! Drop other son off 30 minutes away for work dinner. This is a busy day so I am planning things that will all be mostly prepared the day ahead so it can be on the table quickly. Hmm, maybe we just won't eat since I will be spending my grocery budget on gas!


WEDNESDAY:
Grilled Apple Chicken (see recipe below), brown rice
(Before bed: busy day tomorrow so make tomorrow's casserole in crock for crockpot and put in fridge)

THURSDAY: Sausage Spanish Rice (I sub brown rice for white rice)
Take crockpot crock out of fridge and put on counter to warm up some, then stick in crockpot and cook all day on low.

BUSY DAY buying and some preparing food for son's grad, last minute other preparations. Oh yes, I am thankful for recipes I can make ahead and for my trusty crockpots!

FRIDAY:Ultimate Sub Bar. Hoagies with cold cuts and lots of fixins.

My baby has a long awaited doctor's appointment with the dermatologist (bad timing!). Andrew graduates tonight and the older boys have to leave by 1 to go and help set up. This will allow them to easily take dinner with them. We will be going to a favorite hang-out in Portland afterwards.

SATURDAY:
BBQ in the park for Andrew's graduation party!!!

SUNDAY:
Leftovers from BBQ if available, or defrost extra MacNCheese I made last week and put on timed cook so will be ready when we get home from church.

(note:
RECIPES:
Taco Salad: Cook brown rice. Brown ground beef and add taco seasoning. In separate bowl mix Catalina Salad Dressing, sour cream and salsa to taste. Put rice , beef and dressing mixture in bowl together while still hot. Let sit while you cut up tomato, avocado, green onion, cilantro (or whatever you like to include). Add lettuce and spinach to rice mixture. Add 1 can kidney beans or black beans or 2 cups of your own from dried beans. Serve other veggies on side so they don't get soggy and gross and each person can add what they like. Serve with crushed tortilla chips, Fritos or Doritos

Grilled Apple Chicken: CLICK ON LINK. My family loves this!I found the recipe in a Tyson ad a long time ago. I was getting ready to type it out but did a Google search and, lo and behold, it was already typed out online! Since the weather is not all that hot here, I will be making this on my stovetop this time as I don't have a charcoal grill and it is quicker to do on the stove. It is a nice option to be able to grill outside if the weather is too hot.

LAST WEEK IN REVIEW:(click here for last week's plan)
Last week Sarah asked about leftovers and why I don't always plan a leftover night in my plan. Good question Sarah. You win my weekly prize. Oh wait, I don't have a weekly prize. I don't have the readership of 1000's to get any freebies offered to me. But if I did, you would have won it. To answer your question, I don't schedule leftovers unless we have a weird week and I start to see accumulation. In this case, I drop one of my already planned meals in favor of not letting food go to waste. This is one of the reasons you will see meals moved from one week to the next as I didn't make them.The reason I don't actually plan for leftovers at dinner is that 1) I have a husband and three teenage boys and sometimes there just aren't any 2) I have three teenage boys, plus three younger kids and we homeschool. So if there are any leftovers, they are eagerly wolfed down at lunchtime!

Company McNCheese: Christa mentioned that she made this and it was bland. I also have had to sub dijon for the spicy mustard it calls for and it is more bland. I usually make something once following the directions -- then add the spices my family likes to recipes on subsequent times. I had to buy Chipotle Tabasco sauce for the Turkey Burgers I made last week. So I used that with one of the batches of MacNCheese I made last week and it was great! I also have thrown in chili powder, cayenne, etc. Also, I sprinkle cheese on top, then garlic powder, then the breadcrumbs and butter.)

French Dips: I sort of ad libbed with using different soup mixes. Close to the end I realized the meat cooked down quite a bit and we were having additional people. So I threw in some deli roast beef and it worked out well. I also bought some pepper jack spicy cheese for my hubby and two of my boys.

Turkey Burgers were fantabulous! I added a note to that post already...