Worth a repeat.
What the heck did we eat this last week? I didn't meal plan but had a list of options.
- Sunday: BBQ Pork on buns with baked potato
- Monday: Homemade pizzas
- Tuesday: Taco Tuesday
- Wednesday: Leftovers
- Thursday: Leftovers
- Friday: Crockpot pasta
- Saturday: Girls weekend dinner, DH pizza
Same plan for this week is to just list options. I'll be helping at my daughter's so her active pup can recuperate. We'll see if by Wednesday he's back with us for a few days. Options:
- Chicken tortellini soup
- Leftover soup- both chicken tortellini and frozen chicken noodle from weeks ago would be available
- Bacon wrapped pork loin filets with baked potatoes
- Chili
- Chicken and broccoli stir fry with rice
- Gyro from kit, or perhaps Arby with a coupon or special
- Chicken, broccoli, rice and cheese hotdish
- Pot pie or stew with biscuits depending on timing or mood
- Cheese and spinach quiche with quick bread and fruit
Everyone's lamenting about the lack of deals in stores. I'm trying to find things to stock away for the holidays that will seem special even if not the "extras" we normally indulge in. I'm on the look out for a vegan stuffed roast or something like a vegan mushroom Wellington for DD1, but would be enjoyed by all. I'm not opposed to making either so if you have recipes, please share. We're eating humble meals, but they're not that different than what we normally do. Last week the boredom factor kicked in. Too much homemade pizza, BBQ, and taco fixings left over eating for two leftover nights or lunch, but we didn't waste. I need to freeze portions for later, like I did with the soup as it won't feel repetitive if a few weeks later.
So I turn to you. Any new recipes in your house? For households that used to be much larger, how have you adapted to downsized cooking?
If we get too bored with some leftovers I will freeze them. Then they will be new to us when I pull them out of the freezer. No new recipes here but I am reading old cookbooks to get some ideas and even pulling out some old ones of mine that were really money saving back in the day. I’m using up things that I would not normally use, but need to in order to make the food we do have stretch.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why I didn't make you burritos with the taco fixings. They would have been a good lunch in a few weeks.
DeleteFamily of 5 to just me- I’ve always cooked from scratch and pretty much cook the same way I have since 1969 when I married right out of college. I just have a lot of leftovers now and freeze food. I have nice Pyrex containers I have asked for gifts and they work quite well. I roasted a 3 pound turkey breast the other day, made mashed potatoes. gravy and cole slaw. I still have half of the turkey that I froze for soup at a later date. I saw some field type roasts advertised in Aldi flyer. Nan
ReplyDeleteLike Mona, you seem to have a great way to approach meals, avoid waste, and not overdo repetition. I just need to figure out downsize cooking too.
DeleteI'm fortunate not to have to take anyone else's palette into consideration. I usually plan for 3 dishes a week, allowing for leftovers (which I'm not opposed to) & seeing what needs using first. One of those 3 dishes would be a pot of soup. There's often a soup/sandwich combo for dinner with leftover soup for lunch. The soups are hearty. Rachel Ray would refer to them as stoups (something between a soup & a stew). I also attempt a meatless meal at least once a week, i.e. tikka masala naan pizza. Leftovers get repurposed to avoid food waste, i.e. pulled pork was transformed into a casserole with rice, squash & tomato sauce. The empty menu days are filled in off the cuff. Planning is key for me but it's not written in stone. Would your husband contribute to planning? I also get inspiration from magazines & cooking shows.
ReplyDeleteRepurposing leftovers is a strategy I try too. I'm not always successful though.
DeleteI'm in a funk with menu planning, as the kids schedules are so hard to predict, we have one picky eater, one Keto eater, and it gets hard to accommodate all tastes. M grills a lot, but as we move past grilling season, more of the cooking falls to me, and the pickiness is about to end me! I'm trying one new recipe this week, and will plan to make it tomorrow. https://www.budgetbytes.com/one-pot-creamy-pesto-chicken-pasta/
ReplyDeleteI hope the recipe is a winner. Pleasing everyone is tough.
DeleteWith middle autistic son three days a week. He has sensory issues so we eat what he wants, which tends to be hamburgers, hot dogs, lasagna, spaghetti, shrimp and rice, or tomato soup with grilled cheese. All of the above are served with sautéed spinach or corn. I have tried a baked potato over the weekend but he was not especially receptive. He will not eat any type of pork and usually not chicken. He will eat Turkey on Thanksgiving. When I am at work the other four days, I usually make a soup of greens and Rotel tomatoes, carrots or pumpkins, or a bean soup, and maybe a simple sandwich like tuna, or serve with rice. I am not picky. I just take a sandwich to work for lunch. My meals are very repetitive but I don’t care. I will take this bag of potatoes and probably eat them with carrots this week for supper. I toss together an egg and tomato sandwich in the mornings or maybe grits. Cindy in the South
ReplyDeleteI'm usually not easily bored but the tacos wore thin in me. I like to make ob toast for a fast lunch too.
DeleteWe finally moved into the new house fulltime but we are still unpacking. Presently I have plenty of food but am stymied by the lack of spices and pots and pans so meals still aren't happening but sporadically. Ya do what ya can with what ya got!
ReplyDeleteYou'll be there soon. I imagine once set up how you like, you'll avoid restaurants and take out for a while.
DeletePork chops and ground beef are on sale this week. I’m trying a new crockpot pork chop recipe, I’ll let you know it if it turns out good. Hubby asked for just a simple chicken, cream soup and veggies casserole which I despise so I’ll have something else lol. Might make a small batch of hamburger stroganoff since he hates that. Soup of the week tbd but I’m leaning toward vegetable. Found four bags of Parmesan breaded fish fillets on clearance at Target, so will make one of those with some pierogies and salad. JoAnn
ReplyDeleteI got a couple bacon wrapped pork tenderloins, individual, so that will be a nice change one night. Yes, planning based on sale items is the game now.
DeleteI am currently in transition, three older kids gone, then one returned, youngest still at home, but all adults. I work away and prepare and leave meals for them ( but also to take with me). I found we were eating the same meals on the same night for months, funny how that creeps up, and so have tried to diversify by trying three new meals a week. I have been trawling online for different budget ideas, and have had some success, some failures. Leftovers feature heavily for lunches, personally I cannot understand how good food can be thrown away because people "don't do leftovers". Megan
ReplyDeleteI hate the waste, but we like variety. I need to do better at freezing leftovers.
DeleteTommy is so funny. He said he was sort of getting used to eating the same thing for many days! Well, I made a large meat loaf and we have had different vegetables with it. Tonight will be the third day of meatloaf. He was not complaining, just laughing about it to give me a hint I suppose. Maybe I can make one of these packets of pizza crust, crumble the meatloaf over it and put cheese on top. Or not! I have absolutely no problem with eating the same thing every day. Once, I ate soup seven days a week for three months. It was made on Sunday, divided into six Tupperware bowls in the refrigerator for taking to work and one for the next Saturday. Whatever was left after the six bowls were filled was dinner on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteIf that works for you, it does make meals easier.
DeleteI tried making a sort of alfredo sauce using ricotta cheese but it was terrible.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I wonder where the error was. I would think it would work.
DeleteWhat’s hot dish?
ReplyDeleteThis is what we call casseroles in Minnesota. No one says casserole to describe the starch,protein, binder concoctions that grace our ovens and slow cookers.
DeleteAt the moment I'm just making huge batches of soup and living off that. I get the ennui, believe me!
ReplyDeleteI'd be happy with batches of soup.Definetly time for tortellini. Soup and chili again.
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