Happy Easter to all. Peace to you all during Passover week. I'm not hosting Easter and doubt there will be any leftovers of my egg bakes, so I am starting sort of by scratch coming up with meal ideas for the week. Rarely do my options totally pan out as life throws a curve ball in scheduling. However, after my lament yesterday I'll try and buckle down a bit better. The big old ham I got will stay put for a while, but there were a few other loss leaders to take into the week, and maybe stretch into May with nothing more than a fruit, break, and milk run. Here's what I've come up with.
- Hot dogs and friend potatoes
- Egg salad sandwiches and bean soup
- Breakfast for supper-with sausage, scrambled eggs, and pancakes
- Chicken Alfred over rotini with steamed vegetables
- Vegetable Spaghetti with tomato and mushroom sauce with meatballs
- Meatballs in mushroom gravy over mashed potatoes
- Butter nut squash and mushroom sauce over cheese ravioli (testing out thickening a butternut squash soup with more garlic, pepper, and mushrooms for a change of pace. As a soup, the butternut squash was lacking.)
An old friend from my last job, though we didn't work together the last seven years I was there, just had a kidney transplant. Her sister was the donor. I'm stopping by our favorite Vietnamese restaurant and picking up dinner for Tuesday, and to take a turn doing some task to help her focus on her recovery. I want to leave her with some soup for her freezer as well, though I know it is getting nearer to non-soup weather. We will still have some cold and rainy days ahead. DH has an ordinary weeks ahead, and I'll perhaps go to trivia. DD2's rehearsal schedule I all over the map, plus she continues to be loaded with homework. Any of the meals above can be reheated as needed to accommodate changes.
Like my butternut soup as a pasta sauce experiment, is anyone else bringing something into you menu that is different? Are you looking forward to any particular meals from your kitchen or have special plans?
I'm at a work training at a health & wellness retreat (subject of training is work, but facility is super nice). I'm looking forward to having someone else do healthy cooking for me. :)
ReplyDeleteI did meal plan for M & the kids, & we have plenty of options for them. It will help use up freezer items. M is grilling chicken tonight, we're having leftover rice, we will have carnitas tomorrow (meat prepped & in the freezer) & probably spaghetti & meatballs.
You always plan ahead so well. Enjoy your retreat.
DeleteNo new recipes here, at least not for entrees. I did make a carrot pineapple cake with pineapple cream cheese frosting for a birthday earlier in the week. It was o.k., but not something I will rush to bake again. It used up a can of pineapple as well as a jar of home canned applesauce from the pantry, though.
ReplyDeleteOur Easter dinner is simply grilled steaks, (Rib eyes, which were an absolute splurge at Costco, purchased deliberately) jello salad, green salad, and either baked sweet potatoes or potato wedges. If I make the wedges, that will be new, and I have you to thank. Ever since reading your post about your daughter's dinner, I can't stop thinking about sweet potato wedges! Dessert is a pear tart, made with two of considerable more cans of pears in the pantry DH brought home one morning at $0.29/can.
Happy Easter, and thank you for this blog. I really enjoy your musings.
Easter was nice and relaxing here. We are all battling something and actually took naps!
DeleteThis month's 'soup of the month' is another tackle at french onion. It is my favorite and I've never made it to my satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteI love French Onion soup. Do write about your success.
DeleteYour meal plan sounds really tasty and that is all that matters. Other than today, we are eating leftovers Monday and Tuesday. We are headed to New York Wednesday through Monday, so we will be eating out a lot.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your trip. I imagine you'll get to hear a lot of great music.
DeleteOne thing I've found since I've retired is that I'm really not eating out - not that I did a lot of it anyway when I was working but it's easy to make something at home and eat it on two separate days. At the moment I'm going through Jamie Oliver's "5 ingredients" recipes and quite enjoying them, although I must say just getting back from Italy and 4 days of 4 and 5 course meals sure makes me appreciate a salad!
ReplyDeleteIf someone would have all the salad stuff ready for me, I'd eat one every meal!
DeleteWoohoo - leftovers today no cooking! Likely salmon is on the agenda at some point because we still have many pounds worth and have already booked our next fishing trip for July so need to get eating! Other than that not sure - I only meal plan about a day or two ahead ever to take advantage of sales and what needs eating up
ReplyDeleteNy plan will go astray, as always, but putting options down helps. And Woohoo for elftovers
DeleteI had a cooking afternoon last Wednesday, and made a couple ofthings I haven't made in a while - chilli, and 'chicken', leek and mushroom pies. My husband has enjoyed both, and I haven't eaten either. I've really gone off chilli, and can't have the pies because of the calorific pastry. I have 6 more portions of chilli in the freezer, and lots of pie filling too, so he'll be able to have them again soon. I've eaten lots of salad over the last week.
ReplyDeleteThe pies sound wonderful, but hear you on the pastry. Salad, a good treat.
Delete