Menu Plan Monday/Once a Week Cooking

I've totally complicated my life in order to simplify it. Does that make any sense whatsoever? Regardless, I am TIRED of trying to think of things for dinner when my family LOVES certain things that I make. I think I get bored making the same thing over and over, but they don't!

In order to give my brain a break I'm going to serve five things a week that I know my family loves. The other two days will be new recipes, cleaning out the freezer or plan aheads (AKA leftovers).

Loss leaders don't really affect me any more since my freezer is full of beef and pork. Hopefully I'll get more locally raised chickens and eggs soon!

Without further ado...adieu??!?! what is that word anyway? Here is my plan for this week:

1. Wild Rice Soup
2. Mex Mix Bake
3. Buffalo Wings
4. Chili (DH makes - mine is just bad. Seriously.)
5. Stir Fried Rice

I don't have any recipes listed yet so I'll update as I can (except the chili - throw a bunch of stuff in a pot. If you are my husband then it tastes FABULOUS. If you are me then it is absolutely HORRIBLE).

The Wild Rice Soup is yet another "Mary" recipe...boy is she a good cook :-)

Here are the sides I'll be serving:
Sides: baby carrots, sautéed broccoli or cauliflower, green beans, peas, green/red peppers, roasted veggies,

sweet potatoes, fruit, cheese, cauli/rice, bread

My plan for breakfast is as follows:

1. Sausage (with ground pork when we have it) and fruit
2. Sausage and fruit smoothie
3. Sausage and yogurt parfait with homemade granola
4. Sausage and oatmeal
5. Sausage and scrambled eggs with salsa

    Sat/Sun - whatever is leftover and french toast, pancakes, waffles, bacon??? who knows

As you can see there is a lot of sausage there. It's the ONLY thing that keeps my kids full until 12:30 lunch time. They eat breakfast about 7:00AM and it's a long time until lunch for them.

My DH usually eats lunch at work, I eat leftovers and the kids have either chicken/tuna salad sandwiches or lettuce wraps or leftovers.

I'm planning on doing a "once a week cooking" session on Tuesday. My son has a cross country meet that afternoon so I'll have to be organized and ready to go first thing in the morning. Here's what I need to get done:

chop/cook/prepare

• onions:
• 2 for soup
• food processor: 2 c
• garlic:
• 3 for soup
• minced: 6
• celery:
• 2 stalks for soup
• stalks chopped: 1/2 c + 1 c stir fry
• pieces for buffalo wings
• carrots:
• 3 for soup
• shredded: 1 c + 1/2 c stir fry
• fry 2 pounds burger
• fry bacon and onions for quiche
• scramble eggs for quiche and scrambled eggs

Check out other menu plans over at orgjunkie.com.


P.S. If my kids want to eat the same exact breakfast every single day, why do I believe I need to come up with a fancy plan? I'll tell you why...because most other bloggers that I read/respect have a fancy schmancy menu so I think I do. That's just silly of me isn't it?