It was a pretty lazy week for meals, but we ate and only got a take out once. That's good as I have been starting a little holiday and birthday shopping, and some splurges on alcohol this month at the cabin and yesterday from the brewery. I thoroughly enjoyed the seltzer, and will probably enjoy over several weekends. Here's what our meals ended up being. With DH shopping, I had different control over what was bought, but he did OK, and didn't throw us too far off with options.
- Sunday: Aldi Take and Bake pizza
- Monday: Pork loin, apple sauce, baked potato
- Tuesday; Red bag chicken and air fryer fries
- Wednesday: Cheese Ravioli
- Thursday: Leftover ravioli
- Friday: Taos or taco salad
- Saturday: Canned soup, Cheddar garlic quick bread, jalapeno poppers
II do better not meal planning specifically, but creating a list of options, many carried over form previous week if not used. Options for this week include:
- Aldi Red Bag Chicken on rolls (probably not since we just had, but we have it on hand so I listed it), with air fryer French fries or baked potatoes or wedges
- Pulled pork sandwiches with salad
- Sausage, cheddar apple meatballs, with some sort of sides
- Homemade pizza flat breads with olives, onions, and pepperoni
- Cheddar broccoli soup
- Carnitas (still have the pork roast for this) with tortillas, rice, and cheese
- Tuna hotdish with vegetables
- Chicken skewers with vegetables and rice pilaf
- Vegan butternut squash lasagna (I've wanted to try this recipe for a while since we had squash pizza at Veg fest last year)
- Brats on the grill with onions, sweet potato wedges
- Goulash with green beans
- Meatballs and gravy over rice or noodles
- Cottage pie (becoming a DH favorite)
- Chicken Wild Rice soup or a hotdish (I've been hungry for a wild rice dish since a friend whose family harvested it last month posted about sending out packets) If I do the hotdish, it is one from the 1987 church cookbook I got as a shower present and was the first meal I cooked for guests, both sets of parents, after we were married.)
- Chicken Cordon Bleu, rice pilaf
I filled in gaps in DH's ship last Sunday and a few stock-up items that seem to be harder to find so I pick-up when I see them such as diced canned tomatoes and black beans. DH pick dup BK for lunch on his day off, but we are ending the month under $500 for all food consumed -grocery, restaurant, take out, household, and health and beauty, even with a stop for bread and fruit this week. November' shopping will start leaning towards items for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I need to remember the gatherings are going to be much smaller and rein in. What's on you menu? If you cook special dishes for the holidays, are you starting to add to your pantry and freezer?
Just before I started to read your blog, I told Tommy I was going to make chicken, brown rice, broccoli casserole. I do buy special things for the holidays--canned jelly cranberry sauce, fresh cranberries, pumpkin, pie crusts, and other things I cannot remember. This is the time of the year I stock up on sugar, flour, spices, and other stuff, taking advantage of sales. However, I have three 5-lb. bags of sugar, so I will not be buying sugar. I am still using the flour I bought a year ago, so none of that. I do not use much sugar or flour since I am just not baking as much.
ReplyDeleteI'll start to buy things now-everything but the turkey mostly due to space, but that I'll get the week before.
DeleteAll of your meals and options sound great. I've only shopped once this month and spent $198. mostly to replace stuff I had to throw out when our fridge died. Tomorrow I will have to get cat food, bread, eggs, and a couple veggies that I need for this week's menu plan. I think I can make it through this last week of the month otherwise. I'm going to do a very nontraditional Thanksgiving this year with a sub platter or something easy like that. It's just too much to try to deal with our regular dinner while social distancing with the family. Have a great week Sam :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry for that refrigerator loss. The mess and the expenses is immense I'm sure. November we will likely do light shops until the week of Thanksgiving as I'll get the Turkey and our daughter will be home so food she will enjoy after what she describes as a horrible dining service experience during Covid without the fresh homemade normal food, and more reliance on both the same, and bulk purchased almost ready meals. .
DeleteJalapeno Poppers! Love them! They are hard to find in my neck of the woods but, I spotted them at a big box(ish) store. It is a large amount but, they are frozen. So, as soon as I go back to Istanbul, I am buying them. I have been very spoilt by my uncle during the last three weeks foodwise. It will be difficult to go back to cooking.
ReplyDeleteI froze I think 8 large ones, and will save for when my daughter is home. I probably will only make about once per year-need to figure out a better way to keep the breading on. IT sounds like a nice time with your family-Ooh, what is your uncle cooking for you?
DeleteThis week we are doing Hello Fresh entrees and I plan for Halloween feast on Saturday .
ReplyDeleteI will be watching your blog for a review of your Hello Fresh Experience. The meals I've seen look really tasty, but seem very expensive per serving. I suppose if compared to a restaurant and the process of making is fun, it has dual purpose of meals and entertainment.
DeleteWe don't buy much in the way of special holiday food, but we will pick up fresh cranberries & freeze them. We like them in muffins, and are always sad when they run out. Otherwise, we may stock up on baking supplies here or there, if we think about it.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever had a cranberry white chocolate chip muffin? To die for!
DeleteSoup with bread (this time, it's Russian cabbage soup - щи), salad with chicken, baked fish, stewed veggies and some favorite take-outs are in heavy rotation at our household. Our holiday table is usually simple with some home-made dishes like roasted turkey or shepherd's pie, and some treats from a Russian store. :)
ReplyDeleteI love that you are bringing you homeland into your American holiday. I'm trying to figure out how to get lefse to my son, and I don't think my mother in law will make this year since there is not someone to rice the potatoes. Maybe if we do the potatoes at our house for her. That doesn't solve sending them to my son. Cottage pie ahs become one of my husbands favorite meals-I don't know why I just started making it this past year. So good to hear form you again, Natalia.
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