::Dinner Plans #26::

Another week, another meal plan. I really do find a large amount of joy in coming up with a meal plan and doing the planning/shopping/preparing/cooking. The part I don't like? The cleaning! The cleaning is the worst part. I should be honest, though. I only have to do the cleaning up from dinner on the few nights that my husband isn't home. Like I said, though, that doesn't happen all to often.

Monday: Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Stew. I realized that, during my pregnancy, I made quite the stock pile of freezer meals. This is one that we eat pretty often--it looks kinda gross, but it tastes good and the kids love it!
Tuesday: Instant Pot Deconstructed Egg Rolls. My mother-in-law made this a few weeks ago, and we loved them. Even my picky five-year-old gobbled them up.
Wednesday: Lasagna! It's another one of those freezer meals. Unfortunately for our meals, the weather has turned and we have a lot of "winter" meals left to eat. I will gladly deal with "winter" meals in the nice weather...as long as the nice weather stays! We definitely put in our time this year--snowiest April on record for Minnesota!
Thursday: Summer Vegetable & Chicken Soup. I haven't tried this one yet; hopefully everyone likes it!
Friday: Homemade Pizza. If the weather cooperates, we will have grill pizza and eat outside. My kids love to eat outside. It isn't my favorite thing, but I do it anyway.
Saturday: Grilled Kebabs & Vegetables.

::Dinner Plans #24::

I am going in a new direction this week: budget friendly. Well, it's more of a pantry clean out. We have a freezer in our basement that is beyond full, a pantry that is bursting at the seems, and a regular freezer that has not an inch of space left. My plan is to use what we currently have for as long as possible - and to see how long I can go without spending copious amounts of cash money.

Sunday - Shepherd's Pie: a repeat from last week, I know, but we didn't get to it.

Monday - Leftover chili: it's been taking up space in my freezer for a few months.

Tuesday - Stir Fry: this has also been taking up space in the freezer for a few months.

Wednesday - Family Dinner

Thursday - Pan-fried Venison Steak and Steamed Veggies

Friday - Spaghetti: I have 2 quarts of frozen marinara sauce in the freezer, too.

Saturday - Tater-Tot Hot Dish: another recently made meal. We typically have the ingredients for this on hand all of the time.

In looking at my current pantry, I think my bill for dinner ingredients will be about $3. Of course, I will need to purchase some fresh fruit for snacks in the upcoming week, but I think this might be the cheapest week (grocery-wise) of my life.

What are your go-to budget friendly meals?

How about your go-to pantry clean out meals?

...I'm always looking for new recipes!

::Dinner Plans #4::

This weekend has flown on by...we have been so busy!

We started the weekend with a high school basketball game, where we met up with a bunch of the hubs' coworkers. On Saturday, we went to shoot sporting clays.

Never had I shot sporting clays before, but wow, it is interesting! Bright orange clay "pigeons" are thrown into the air by a launcher. The goal is to shoot them before they come down and hit the ground. So weird. I didn't think I would like it, you know, because it's guns and all. But it was surprisingly fun and exciting. Although, I only hit one of the "pigeons" (don't worry they aren't real birds).

Saturday night, my hubs' grandma took all of her adult grandchildren out to dinner. The prerequisite is an age of 21+. It was a delightful dinner, and a tradition we have enjoyed for three years.

And today. Today, is a day of rest. A day of laundry, and the grocery store, and hanging out with cousins (Kid's cousins, that is). I wrote my meal plan this morning, and am excited that it features 3 days of a soup or stew. I cannot wait! One of my favorite parts of winter. Soups and stews.

Sunday: dinner with Mootzie & Pa (my parents--don't you love their grandparent name?!)

Monday: Pork Tacos with Avocado Pepper Spread

Tuesday: Chicken Soup

Wednesday: Venison Steaks with Steamed Broccoli

Thursday: Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Friday: Venison Soup

Saturday: Beef Stew

So, there's the plan my friends.

Linking up with Jessica at jessica lynn writes.

Meal Plan

I feel as though I've been rather absent as of late.

Needless to say, it is a busy time of year! We have quite a few holiday gatherings in the next couple of weeks, and the preparations have definitely begun.

AND! My bestie, K, had her baby last Wednesday! I had to make a trip (two) to the hospital to meet her boy, and Kid's new best friend. She is planning to "host" our weekly girls' night. I quote it because, in actuality, we will be at her house, but she will be doing no work. She just had a baby for goodness sake. And her post c-section orders are to lay low. The rest of the group (there are 7 of us, total) will be bringing a main dish, salad, red wine, white wine, and dessert. K will get to sit back and relax and we will get to hang out with the brand new baby boy!

Like I said. Busy time of year!

Here's the plan for the week:

Sunday: a big, fat spaghetti dinner. I've been trying to avoid grains as of late, but today felt like the perfect day for spaghetti and meat sauce made with venison.

Monday: modified taco casserole for us (no noodles). I'll be making the "regular" version as well, with noodles, for K to stick in her freezer. Sending freezer meals was one of the most helpful things early in G's life!

Tuesday: girls' night. I'll be making chicken soup to bring as the main dish.

Wednesday: steak and eggs. Oh, how I love steak and eggs. With some bell pepper and mushrooms. Maybe a little onion. Mmm. I'm excited. My mouth is already watering!

Thursday: birthday party for the mom-in-law. We'll probably have some ridiculously delicious meal!

Friday: enchilada stew over Mexican "rice." I call it "rice" because it's really cauliflower. And, it's delightful. Well. The husband doesn't like it as much as real rice, but he's coming around slowly but surely.

Saturday: chicken soup. The hubs saw that it was on the menu for girls' night and was a little jealous. I had to add it to our menu as well...

And the baby's meal plan? He tried apples today, and loved them (because who doesn't like apples?). I hope to add some apples to his peas. Kid does not like peas! We now have squash, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, apples, and banana in the rotation. The next new food will be broccoli (which we will probably have to mix with apples!).

Weekly Meal Plan

I'm always amazed at how quickly Sunday arrives. Friday rolls around and then, just like that, it's Sunday.

Quite simply, Sunday has become errand day. Today's to-do list included the grocery story, a few clothing stores (for the baby, not me!), and my parents' house. They've given us a secretary desk and a couch. They wanted it out of their house yesterday.

I have to admit that I have gotten a lot better at "going with the flow" on Sundays. It used to be really difficult for me. I've always had a list of things to get done over the weekend. I would be immensely bothered on Sunday evenings if even one thing was left unchecked on the list. But lately, I've been more relaxed. I have allowed myself to enjoy the simple moments of the day with my three boys.

We also spent a lot of time with my sister and brother-in-law. Check out this picture I found of my boy and my nephew (6 weeks younger than G). Keep in mind that this is an old picture. The trees no longer have leaves up here in Minnesota. And we definitely would not be outside with out our winter jackets and hats!

So Sunday is here, and while there are a few things left undone on my list, the majority were completed.

I got to the grocery store. Refilled the fridge, freezer, and pantry.

I got to the clothing store. New (well, some used) clothes for the boy. The kid is growing like a weed. He'll be 8 months old on December 2nd and we've already moved him into 12 month clothes. Granted, he's in cloth diapers, which are quite a bit more bulky than disposables. But it's not just that. He is one long boy!

While I enjoy buying him new clothes, it's so sad to pack away the old ones! He's already growing so fast and I know it won't be slowing down!

Alrightly. Time to write out the meal plan and then get back to enjoying my family!

Sunday: dinner at my sister and brother-in-law's new house
Monday: dinner at my parents' house
Tuesday: Chipotle Meatloaf
Wednesday: Crockpot Beef Stew
Thursday: Thanksgiving!
Friday: Leftovers!
Saturday: Chicken Tacos

I hope everyone's week starts wonderfully!

Weekly Meal Plan

It's that time again. Time for a meal plan.

I feel like I've been pretty wishy-washy about the meal plans as of late.

Wasn't it just a month or two ago that I decided to change them up and create the meal plan after the grocery shopping?

Well. With the school year in full swing, that isn't working. Dinner isn't getting made without a trip or two to the grocery store.

Needless to say, I'm back to my "old school" way of making a meal plan and then shopping.

(We'll see how long this lasts...)

Sunday: homemade chicken soup (so excited for soup season!)
Monday: white wine chicken thighs & warm spinach salad
Tuesday: ginger chicken stir fry
Wednesday: breakfast burgers & sweet potato hash
Thursday: salmon packets
Friday: DATE NIGHT! (we're going out to dinner!)
Saturday: Creamy Chicken Casserole



And there you have it, my friends. Dinners for the week. Look for a couple of the recipes to show up on my {receats} page in the near future!

Weekly Meal Plan

Another week has come and gone. The fridge has been restocked with fresh fruits and veggies.

The husband and I have gotten into the habit of doing a big meat purchase, and other necessities, in bulk once a month at Costco. Then, once a week I make the trek to the grocery store for produce for the week. I would love to purchase produce from Costco in bulk as well, but the husband and I don't eat it fast enough for it to be worth it.

This week, we will be eating:

Sunday: Homemade Chicken Soup

Monday: Spicy Venison Chops

Tuesday: Fajitas

Wednesday: Beef Stew

Thursday: Caesar Chicken

Friday: Salmon Lime Lettuce Wraps

Saturday: Venison Burgers

Notice the venison still in the weekly meal plan? Yep. We still have a few pounds left in the freezer. Although I have been buying beef (very sparsely) from the grocery store, one deer has lasted us quite some time. Okay. Only six months.

Deer season is just around the corner, though, and I'm hoping the husband will get one or two to restock the freezer. I'm still hoping to accomplish my not-so-secret secret dream.

Weekly Meal Plan!?

That's right, my friends.

I'm back at it!

I made it through parent/teacher conferences alive, and finally feel as though I have some time on my hands to do some blogging.

So, I thought I'd start with a meal plan.

Sunday (tonight): Venison Chili

Monday: family dinner

Tuesday: White Wine Chicken Legs

Wednesday: Grilled Salmon

Thursday: Homemade Chicken Soup

Friday: Hot Pepper Stir Fry

Saturday: Zuchinni Carrot Soup

Tuesday's and Saturday's meals are creations that I've never tried. Experimental meals. I haven't looked for recipes. I plan to make them up as I go. Well, not really as I go, since I've already begun to think about them. If they turn out, I will definitely share!

Meal Plan

This past weekend was unbelievable. Which is why the meal plan is so late in coming (whoops!).

We had a rehearsal dinner, a wedding, a family reunion, and a baptism. Ay, ay, ay. Needless to say, I am exhausted. The hubby is exhausted. And the baby? Well. He's still pretty adaptable. So he's been fine. He'll be 5 months soon. Which means I go back to work. I am so, so thankful that I got to spend 5 months at home with that little man.

Anyway, with all of the activities a lack of blogging ensues. I have a blogging calendar that I haven't looked at in at least a week (or two). Whoops. I'm making plans, though, to get back on track.

So. Here's my weekly meal plan:

Sunday: Steak and Fruit. Nothing fancy.
Monday: Three Pepper Lime Chicken
Tuesday: Chicken Kabobs
Wednesday: Crustless Quiche
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Caesar Chicken
Saturday: Venison Burgers

Weekly Meal Plan

Hello, friends!

Sorry I'm so late in getting this meal plan up. It's been a relaxing day, and I really didn't want to spend time at the computer today. Instead, we met my parents, and my sister and her family out at a local fair. It was so wonderful. The hubs and I also went last night, to watch the demolition derby. Probably the best part of the fair, by far!

Anyway, back to the upcoming meal plan. It's going to be one of those weeks where I don't really have to cook much. It's amazing how busy the end of summer is!

Sunday: fair food!

Monday: chicken fajitas

Tuesday: garlic basil venison burgers

Wednesday: bachelorette party

Thursday: rehearsal dinner

Friday: the wedding!

Saturday: family BBQ

Busy, busy week ahead!

Meal Plan

Aah.

It has been so nice to be home. We have begun to reestablish our routines, and it feels so good!

Our boy has been all over the place in his few months, and being home is a welcomed change. I feel so much better being on a schedule and having a routine. It makes life so much easier. On me, and the baby. 

While I don't have a recipe to showcase this week (maybe later in the week), I do have a meal plan that I am excited for:

Sunday: Spaghetti (we received homemade sauce as a wedding favor...it was delicious!)

Monday: Breakfast Burgers and a Veggie Hash

Tuesday: Girls' Night

Wednesday: Beef & Broccoli

Thursday: Summer Squash Meatball Casserole

Friday: Coriander Chicken Kabobs

Saturday: Demolition Derby (we will be eating out)

This week, I'm most excited about the meatball casserole. And the beef and broccoli. And the breakfast burgers. Mmm...it's going to be a good week of eating!

On Saturday, we will be at a demolition derby. Have you ever been? I've only ever been to one before, at the County Fair. I am very much looking forward to this one (and to eating fair food!).

{recetas} Portobello Mushrooms & a Meal Plan

Ahh, another week begins.

This week brings August.

Know what that means?
(School starts soon!)

Here is my meal plan for the week:

Monday: Maple Venison Chops
Tuesday: Fish Tacos with Avocado Cream Sauce
Wednesday: Family Dinner
Thursday: Enchiladas with Tomatillo Salsa
Friday: Dinner @ a friend's house
Saturday: Garlic Whole Chicken
Sunday: Family Birthday Dinners

This week brings a lot more cooking than last! I'm a little bit excited for it!

Last week, we had some friends over for dinner. We made venison burgers and, for the vegetarian, portobello mushroom burgers.

What you need:

• 4 portobello mushrooms
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. rosemary

What you do:

1. Wash the mushrooms and remove the stem. Place the mushrooms on a plate.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together vinegar, oil, and rosemary.
3. Brush the marinade over each mushroom cap.
4. Place the mushrooms on the grill for 7 to 10 minutes. Brush the extra marinade over each mushroom as needed.

While I am not a vegetarian, I ate a mushroom cap as a bun for my venison burger. It was delicious!

Meal Plan

I have to admit that this week's meal plan is kind of lame. Yep, I said it. Lame. We won't be home over the dinner hour much this week, as our summer calendar (especially July) is always booked.

But, here we go:

Monday: Grandma Pat's 85th Birthday Party (dinner there)
Tuesday: Coriander Cumin Pork Chops
Wednesday: Family Dinner @ the Brother-in-Law's new digs
Thursday: Venison Burgers with Grilled Zucchini (Portobello Mushroom for the vegetarian)
Friday: Stuffed Peppers
Saturday: Rehearsal Dinner
Sunday: A Wedding

Like I said. It's a bit lame. I only have to cook three out of the seven nights.

Okay, that's pretty nice if you ask me!

Stay tuned for the delicious venison burger recipe!

Meal Plan!

It has been awhile since I've written a meal plan out. Making meals was difficult while in the hospital. Thankful for all of you that brought us food in the hospital during our almost two week stay (only two weeks! We were pretty lucky in that regard...).

And then we got home and people have been bringing us food and/or inviting us over for dinner. So thankful.

But now, we are starting to get into a new normal. A normal that includes our little man. A normal that includes me being at home. Although, that will change come September.

So, here goes:

Monday: Chicken Parmesan
Tuesday: Girls' Night - Salad Bar
Wednesday: Dinner with my parents
Thursday: Steak & Asparagus
Friday: Chicken Enchiladas
Saturday: Chicken & Spinach Pizza
Sunday: Waffles with Homemade Maple Syrup

Kind of a lazy meal plan...no new recipes to follow, no crazy ingredients to scour for. I figure my first full week back into this game of cooking should be pretty simple...

Spring! ... And a Meal Plan

It's spring! And my kindergarten students couldn't go outside today because it was just too dang cold out! Their little faces were so red upon arrival this morning... But the silly thing about this beautiful state of mine?

Last year, temperatures were in the 70s.

On another note, I'm 32 weeks along. And my feet disappeared a couple weeks ago. It's so funny to look down! And did I tell y'all that a coworker asked if I was fur "a couple days ago?" Still a highlight slash the funniest moment of my pregnancy.

On another "another" note, I have a bit of a meal plan for you. As far as meals go, my weeks now start on Thursdays, as that is when I can get my produce in the super cheap.

Thursday: Mushroom & Spinach Stuffed Chicken
Friday: Salmon & Broccoli
Saturday: Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Sunday: Beef Brisket
Monday: Italian Meatloaf
Tuesday: leftovers for the hubs, girls night for me!
Wednesday: dinner @ my parents'

The hubs informed me that the stuffed chicken is one of his new favorite meals. Made my day. Big time. Here is the recipe.

My modifications? No bacon. Hubby would probably love the addition of bacon. Me? Not so much.

So. That's my meal plan. That's my preggo update. That's the weather in Minnesota.

And, that's life. Don't ya just love it?

Updates & A Meal Plan

Truthfully, I don't have much in the form of updates. Except for the fact that I'll be 30 weeks on Wednesday and my toes are rapidly disappearing from view!

In the past week, I had 3 (yep, three) coworkers comment on my size and how I am bound to have a big baby. Luckily, I'm not one that is overly concerned with this. I am the size I am right now for a reason. Maybe I'll have a huge baby...his dad was 10.5 pounds...it wouldn't be that surprising.

I think what shocked me most was that people actually said something. Way back in the day (ok, less than 30 weeks ago) I had read an article titled "10 Worst Things to Say to a Pregnant Woman." One of those ten worst things was any sort of comment on her size. I recall thinking to myself, "who on earth would comment on a pregnant woman's size!?"

Oh, it happens.

One woman even said, "Weren't you due a couple of days ago?"  Haha, nope. Not 'til May! Like I said, the comments didn't really bug me. I've become a home for this little guy and if he needs me to be the size I am, then so be it! It's the fact that these women (all women that have children of their own) made a comment about it.

Anywho...on to the more important stuff. I planned to show off the super cool bookshelf my husband and I painted.  Except it didn't turn out that cool. And, the hubs did all of the painting. Apparently, I picked up the wrong kind of primer and it stunk. The hubs even got a headache. A full 48 hours later, the primer is dry and the bookshelf still stinks. I'm a little hesitant about putting it in the babe's room. Needless to say, I don't plan on sharing that project epic fail with you all.

And, the meal plan. Quite frankly, this week is a cheapo meal plan because we will only be home for dinner a handful of times:

Monday: Southwest Meatloaf, Scalloped Potatoes, Mixed Greens
Tuesday: Girls' Night (I'm bringing bread)
Wednesday: Birthday Dinner @ my parents' house
Thursday: Mushroom Gravy Slow Cooked Rump Roast
Friday: Super-Secret-Hubs-Is-Cooking-For-My-Birthday
Saturday: Venison Fajitas, Mexican Rice
Sunday: Chicken Pad Thai

Easy-peasy meal plan, but I'm pretty excited about it. Especially Friday's plans. I have absolutely NO idea what they include. I asked the hubs if I could pick up any ingredients for him. He said he'll take care of it (he's pretty awesome, FYI).

Anyway, time to play one of my favorite games:

Have you ever played Mastermind!? It is amazing!!

I Love to Cook

An old high school acquaintance of mine has a blog that she uses to keep her extended family up-to-date on the life of her beautiful family. One thing she includes on her blog from time to time is a meal plan for the week. I've decided to do the same for a couple of reasons.

My Amazing Reasons:

1. Organization. Having a plan keeps me organized. It also keeps the fridge organized and the food from going bad.
2. The Big Ol' B Word: Budget. Planning out meals (and shopping lists) has really helped me to stay on budget, which is a really good thing. Especially since we've got baby #1 on his way!
3. Cheap Produce - Delivered. My mom is an amazing woman. And she picks up my produce for me on Thursdays. I drop my list and cash off with her on Wednesdays, then pick up fresh fruits and veggies on Thursdays. And the real kicker? I spend WAY less money this way. It's a life saver (and a budget saver!).

So. Here's my meal plan for the week:

Monday: Chicken Enchilada Stew (turned tacos)
Tuesday: Girls' Night @ a friend's house (leftover tacos for the hubby)
Wednesday: Salmon & Zucchini
Thursday: Homemade Mushroom & Broccoli Pizza
Friday - Saturday - Sunday: ARIZONA (so so so thankful for a family vacation!)

The enchilada stew turned tacos turned out amazingly. I stuck everything in the crockpot on Sunday night and started it up on Monday. The chicken was perfectly shred-able and delicious by 5:30. Oh, it was a beautiful dinner!

Before cooking - we were too hungry to take a picture when all was done!