Menu Plan Monday 1/31-2/6: Light Fare and Superbowl!

Hopefully, I'll have my stuff more together this week, since I kind of screwed up last week's menu plan by forgetting that we were going to be gone for 2 days on a camping trip! This week's menu is going to be light fare and of course there's going to be some game day faves too! I hope you enjoy these recipes and stop by www.orgjunkie.com to see her full menu plan as well! Also, don't forget, if you haven't already, sign up for the Full Size Giveaway! It's still got pretty low entry numbers!

Monday: Garlic & Soy Chicken Thighs Legs

Served with spinach salad and curried brown rice

This looks so good, but I'm gonna try it with legs instead, since I don't have any thighs handy! 

Tuesday: Chipotle Chicken and Pear Salad

How can it get any lighter than this? 

Wednesday: Fend for Yourself Night

Thursday: Complete Barbecue Dinner in Your Crockpot

This recipe has inspired me to try to think of my own recipes to make this way.

Friday: Undecided: I might make something new that I can post in  a future plan!

Saturday: Dinner at The Olive Garden in celebration of our anniversary a month ago! This is our favorite restaurant! But of course, I'll be using a coupon I clipped a couple of weeks ago!

Sunday: Game Day!! Who're you goin' for? Me? I'm a little undecided since my team (Seahawks) has a history with both teams! 

Beef nachos

Lil smokies smothered in bbq sauce

Alicia's Healthified Greek Layered Dip (for moi) with pita chips

deli wraps

In case anyone is wondering, that Tri-tip with sundried tomatoes and feta was PHENOMENAL!

Menu Plan Monday January 24th-January 30: Easy Crock Pot Nights

This week, I am going to try making every dinner in my trusty crock pot. It never does me wrong, and is always there to help me when I need it. LOL...really, I'm just challenging myself to see if I can do it! Can you? Make sure you stop by www.orgjunkie.com for her famous and delicious recipes in her Menu Plan Monday! She's my inspiration for planning my meals out weekly!

Don't forget to check out my giveaways too! I'm giving away a tutu to two lucky winners and am giving away almost $60 in full-sized products! Make sure you follow the rules gals and guys!

Monday: Cauliflower Cheese Soup (UPDATE) I think this is a soup that needs to cook in the crock on high for more than 6 hours. I'm thinking like 8-10. I thought 4 hours would be enough on high, but the vegies were still crisp after 4 hours. Also, I added a bottle of Michelob Ultra Cactus Lime to it instead of 2 cups of broth. It was VERY yummy!
Even though this recipe is made for stove top cooking, I think it will work well in the crock pot, I will just be adjusting the time.

Tuesday: Macaroni and Cheese

Wednesday: Fend for Yourself Dinner

Thursday: Sundried Tomatoes and Feta Tri-Tip
I found tri-tip at Fiesta Foods here, and although a little more costly than I would normally pay, this will be the "expensive" dinner for the week. I picked up the sundried tomatoes last week at Safeway when they were on sale for $1.50 per bag.

Friday: Clean Out the Pantry Minestrone Soup

Saturday: Melt in Your Mouth Slow Cooker Beef  (UPDATE) I forgot that we are going on an overnight snow run this day and Sunday, so no crock pot! However, I will be experimenting with some campfire recipes! Check back later for those!
with Roasted Potatoes and Tomatoes

Sunday: Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Tip: If you have leftovers that are even small enough to feed one person, save them. That way, all you need to do when you've found yourself to be alone one night, you don't need to cook...unless you enjoy gourmet cooking for yourself.

Menu Plan Monday January 17th - 23rd: Mexican Fare and Make-Ahead Meals

I don't know why I have a hankerin for Mexican food this week. As I was browsing through recipes, they were just...calling to me, so I picked 'em! Orgjunkie.com usually has really scrumptious recipes on her blog, so make sure you check out her Menu Plan Monday and some of the other bloggers who have linked up to her post for more great recipes to inspire you! Some of these cost a little more money than I usually spend, but the taste is well worth it. Most of the recipes are pretty affordable. Make sure you check out the Chicken Posole recipe that costs under $5 to make!

Monday: Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken with green salad and Jasmine Rice

Tuesday: Brown Sugar Meatloaf with brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and bread machine rolls (Thanks mom for the bread machine!)
I'll be making the meatloaf earlier in the day, then my husband can pop it in when he gets home!

Wednesday: Homemade Chicken Enchiladas - this is my adapted recipe from my sister-in-law.
This too, will be made ahead and I'll be making extra so I can freeze some for a later meal in a couple of weeks!

Thursday: Fend for Yourself Day!

Friday: Tortellini Spinach Tomato Soup with Spinach Berry Salad

This soup looks so yummy I can hardly wait until Thursday to eat...umm...make it!

Saturday: Smoked Cheddar Cheese Tamales, beans, and brown rice

Sunday: Chicken Posole and salad

If you like any of these recipes and want to know when I post more of them, make sure you check out the Foodies tab under the title in the tabs! The best way to stay in the know for my blog is to subscribe to the emails! You can do this by entering your email address in the white box in the upper right hand corner! I'm so glad you stopped by! Let me know if you would like to know more about these recipes!

Menu Plan Monday January 10th - 16th: Game Night and Simplicity

This week the only really important thing going on besides the usual ever-important daily goings on, is

THE DUCKS GAME AND THE 

BCS CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!

We're not excited or anything here....

So, tonight we're having finger food and pizza!

Here's my list of essentials:

• frozen Tombstone pizza
• cut vegies and fruit
• nachos with all the fixings
• chips and Artichoke and Spinach Dip GOT IT! (I'm hoping to get the recipe in time to make my sister's mother-in-law's recipe). It is to-DIE for!!
• Lil Smokies from the Crock

Tuesday:

I got got pork spare ribs from Safeway last week for $1.99 per pound, and they'll be so easy to broil when I get back from class! I love homemade bbq sauce, so I'm gonna try out a recipe that looks really great!

Spoiled Baby Back Rib

add a salad and Jasmine Rice to make it a complete meal!

Wednesday: 

I discovered last week that my Pre-Calculus class is going to actually run the entire length of class, so it will be the latest two night of the week. In honor of this...LOL...Wednesday's are now Leftovers Night (or fend for yourself night).

Thursday:

I still have a freezer bag of frozen turkey leftovers I need to use up, so I'm going to use this recipe that Laura on orgjunkie.com used in her menu a couple of weeks ago. 

Chicken Turkey Spaghetti from The Pioneer Woman

Friday:

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Saturday:

Homemade Pizza Night

Here's a great recipe for a crust from Smitten Kitchen

I'll get some help from the kiddos and everyone can put their own toppings on it! The nice thing about that is that I can have my favorite toppings: spinach, tomatoes, bacon, and alfredo sauce! This is also the perfect way for me to use up an open jar of spaghetti sauce that wasn't completely used up last week!

Sunday:

GO SEAHAWKS!!!

You didn't think I'd forget about the 

Seahawks vs. Bears Playoff Game did ya?

Dinner will be simple...maybe some bear or somethin....

No really, I think we'll have some Homemade Clam Chowder, since it's the hubs favorite dinner, then add some yummy dinner rolls and salad. 

Make sure you stop by I'm An Organizing Junkie to check out her week's menu and where I got the idea for posting my weekly menu!

Menu Plan Monday January 3rd - 9th

With my college winter term starting Tuesday and my son going back to school tomorrow, this week is all about convenient, simple meals. I can make some dinners that take a little longer to make, but those will have to be saved for the weekends since Monday through Thursday evening are taken by classes. I've taken more care this week to make sure my meals meet our family's needs. Last week I messed up by mixing up which day we were going to be out of town. I hope you like the meals I have planned for the week. If you don't like these, check out some of the recipes I have posted on my Foodies page for some inspiration. Look for my shopping list for Menu Plan Monday at the bottom of the post! It's designed to help you shop for these things too using pantry items and deals from local grocery stores! I'd really like to hear...what influences your meals the most?
Make sure you check out Menu Plan Menu at orgjunkie.com!!!
Monday - Since I messed up my menu last week, we had the 40 Clove Slow Cooker Chicken last night.   Tonight, we'll have the Wild Rice Chicken with Pearl Onions with green salad.

Tuesday - Crock Pot Roast Chuck with potatoes and carrots

Wednesday - Crab Fettuccine Alfredo

Thursday - BBQ Beef sandwiches with Mom's Buns, green beans, and sweet potato fries. I'll be using the leftover beef, but smothered in bbq sauce from the crock pot for this one and just simmering it in a sauce pan.
To make the sweet potato fries, just slice a few sweet potatoes or yams in thin slices and sprinkle with a little salt (optional, but I like coarse sea salt on mine). Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown and slightly crisp, turning over halfway through.

Friday - Spaghetti and Meatballs, served with garlic bread and salad

Saturday - Beef Burritos
I'm making my own flour tortillas!

Sunday - Chicken Fajitas - cut chicken breast or tenders into narrow strips and cook until brown and tender. Add vegies such as bell pepper, sweet onion, celery, carrot strips, etc to a fry pan and sautee on medium heat  with a little olive oil that has been heated. Add chicken and toss with coarse sea salt, paprika, and pepper to taste. Add fresh, chopped cilantro to the fajitas just after filling the tortilla with vegie and chicken mixture.

So...what do ya think? Are you going to or thinking of using any of these recipes this week or next? Let me know!

Menu Plan Monday

I started Menu Plan Monday on my blog because I saw this being done by Laura from I'm An Organizing Junkie and her Menu Plan Monday! I like hers so much that I would like to offer up my weekly menu plan for my readers too! Make sure you check hers out too!
This week is just a relaxed week with just me, my hubs, and our almost four year old daughter. Sometimes it is difficult for me to create smaller meals, and since my oldest girls have gone to live with their dad for the year, I have had to make meals for six down to just four...but this week, it's basically like making dinner for two since the little one doesn't eat much. Hopefully I can pull this one off without resorting to fast food or rushing to Safeway for frozen meals.

Monday- Apple Chicken Legs,
served with roasted potatoes and peas
I will make the whole recipe since the leftover chicken is wonderful cold the next day for lunch!

Tuesday- Tater Tot Casserole, scaled down to only half of recipe
served with green salad

Wednesday- Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese
This one can be made for under $5.00! One of the ladies left a comment that she adds imitation lobster to it when she makes it, so I'll be trying that out!

Thursday- 40 Clove Chicken
served with leftover mac and cheese! Add some steamed vegies to complete the meal!

Friday- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup with Pearled Onions
I will be using the leftover chicken from Thursday for this recipe!

Saturday- picnic dinner!

Sunday- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup