Tag Archives: pizza

Mar24

Menu, Week of 3/23

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I have been bad at menu planning lately, and I am suffering from it. I have still been cooking most nights, but it was a much more fraught experience, with lots of indecision and angst about how I could have made a better choice. I know that there are people who can look at what they have in the house and come up with a fantastic meal on the spot, but I am not really one of them. I mean, I can do it occasionally, but it is not a skill I can rely on.

I am diving back into the menu planning this week. My kids are relieved–I didn’t know they paid so much attention to the menu plans, but my daughter commented on how weird it has been not having a menu the other day. We’ve been eating late (see: indecision), and we ate out a bit more than normal. We didn’t go out a lot, but we did go to a restaurant one Wednesday for dinner, and my daughter thought that was just weird – “Who goes out to dinner on a Wednesday?” she asked. I guess I am teaching them good things about eating at home after all.

Sunday: Peanut coconut curry chicken

Monday: Chili spaghetti squash casserole, buttered broccoli

Tuesday: leftovers

Wednesday: Salmon casserole with noodles on the side for the kids

Thursday: Fathead pizza

Friday: Rosemary chicken, bacon wrapped asparagus

Saturday: Steak, buttered broccoli, cauli-rice, salad

As always, many more menu ideas can be found at orgjunkie.com.

Jan20

Menu, Week of 1/19

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January is always a bit of a downtime for me. Maybe it is because I run around like a crazy person before Christmas. Gee, you think? Hopefully I will do better this year, starting projects early, but it always seems there are plenty of projects coming up throughout the year.

This past week I have been busy with work and the kids, but we mostly ate at home. On Wednesday, I got home to find that there was a school program for my youngest starting at 6:00 and lasting until 7:30. It was 5:45 at the time, so we ended up picking something up after the event. Other than that, though, I cooked, so it worked out pretty well.

This week I am planning on getting more done besides work and dinner. I am cooking some extra food for a friend who had surgery last week. I want to do one Christmas project (yet to be determined, but probably something small). I want to finish the Creeper blanket I am crocheting for one of my son’s friends. I would like to do more, but I had better stop if I want to actually make my goals, ;).

Sunday: Cheeseburgers

Monday: Fathead pizza

Tuesday: Sauteed scallops and langostinos, sauteed cabbage (both sauteed in butter)

Wednesday: Paleo chicken taco bowls – the kids may eat the food separately, but I will enjoy it all together!

Thursday: Morroccan egg tagine, buttered broccoli

Friday: Spinach and goat cheese stuffed chicken, green beans sauteed with bacon, sauteed artichoke hearts

Saturday: Steak, cauli-rice, roasted asparagus and cherry tomatoes

As always, lots more menu ideas can be found on orgjunkie.com

Jan14

Menu, Week of 1/12

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I know, it isn't Monday anymore--the cold must have slowed me down!

I know, it isn’t Monday anymore–the cold must have slowed me down!

January is such a depressing time, budget-wise. Even though I really try not to spend too much at Christmas time, I always go a bit overboard. I don’t go totally crazy, loading up the credit cards, but I do spend enough to make January a bit tight, money-wise. I’ve been pretty good about cooking at home and not eating out, though, so I am feeling pretty good, so far.

At times like this, I am so glad that I bought that deep freeze last summer. We are still eating pretty well even though I don’t want to go to the grocery store, because I have lots of food on hand.

Also, I just have to add that I know it is Tuesday now. I had this menu plan completed yesterday, but somehow I wandered away from the computer before it got posted. I try to stay off the computer on Monday evenings, so that I am not on it ALL. THE. TIME. So, better late than never, right?

Sunday: Peanut Coconut Curry Chicken (I know, we have this a lot–what can I say, it is easy and I love it, 😉 )

Monday: Corned beef and cabbage, sauteed green beans and bacon ( added for the kids, who don’t like cabbage)

Tuesday: Sauteed shrimp with feta and lemon butter sauce

Wednesday: Chili Verde, low carb corn bread

Thursday: Pizza with almond flour crust

Friday: Crockpot Balsamic Chicken, sauteed green beans with bacon

Saturday: Bacon and eggs

As always, lots more menu ideas can be found on orgjunkie.com

Nov11

Menu, Week of 11/10

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I am going to a concert tonight! I am going to see Pink! My friend Billie is the greatest! Her husband gave her two tickets to see Pink as an early Christmas present, and she it taking me! Do you think I have used enough exclamation points? I am really excited!

All this excitement is making it hard to concentrate on boring things like menu planning, but I have to do something while I wait for the day to pass, right? Besides work, of course.

Sunday: Minted lamb burgers with feta cheese and avocado, steamed broccoli, cole slaw

Monday: Out with my friend before the concert

Tuesday: Coconut Shrimp soup, sauteed mushrooms, onions and asparagus

Wednesday: Pizza, salad

Thursday: Bratwurst, sauteed cabbage and bacon

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Salmon burgers, salad

As always, many more ideas can be found at orgjunkie.com

Sep23

Menu, week of 9/22

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Last week went pretty well, menu plan-wise. We didn’t follow the plan exactly, but it was pretty close. I made something different than what was planned two nights, and it turned out that I didn’t have leftovers for Friday, so I went out with a friend instead. Of course, I did post my plan late, so I knew what I was working with for the beginning of the week, but it was still a good week.

This week we are settling into the school year routine, and I feel almost like I can handle life again. Here look, it is actually Monday when I am posting my menu plan Monday post. I did a big shopping trip to Costco, too, so we have plenty of food–thank goodness for the freezer I bought last month. I’ve only had it about a month and I already can’t imagine how I managed without it!

This week is not too crazy, unless I am forgetting something, ;). I have an event to attend during the workday that is near my house tomorrow, so I will work from home an extra day. That always helps with getting things done, especially now that I am taking a pottery class on Tuesday evenings. I don’t think I have anything else to do in the evenings this week besides that class, though–nothing that will take me out of the house, at least. There are always plenty of things to be done.

Sunday: Takeout at a friend’s house

Monday: Sirloin steak with shrimp scampi, roasted green beans and mushrooms, steamed broccoli

Tuesday: Bratwurst, spinach salad

Wednesday: Garlic Pork Roast in the slow cooker, sauteed spinach, buttered broccoli, applesauce for kids

Thursday: Bacon cheeseburger meatloaf, buttered broccoli

Friday: Pizza–meatza for me, chickpea flour crust for kids

Saturday: Leftovers

As always, lots more ideas can be found at orgjunkie.com

Jul15

Menu, Week of 7/14

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I find it slightly ridiculous that I have been making menus for 15 years or so, and I still feel a bit overwhelmed when I sit down to write out the plan, but there you go. I never said I was rational! I have had changing requirements, everything from vegan to low carb, in my defense. The adjustment makes it a bit difficult.

The real problem, though, is that I am convinced that there is a perfect plan with perfect meals, so I stress too much. I need to just make a good enough plan.

Sunday: The girl was off volunteering at a theater thing, so the boy and I went out.

Monday: Beef stew based on this recipe, cauli-rice

Tuesday: Spiced chicken wings, sauteed kale, sauteed mushrooms

Wednesday: Lamb burgers at my dad’s, sauteed squash, broccoli and onions, fries for the kids

Thursday: Zucchini boats stuffed with coconut curry lamb–the kids may not be thrilled with this, but I have a LOT of squash in my garden!, steamed broccoli

Friday: Teppanyaki Grill, for all you can eat crab legs!

Saturday: Pizza–Meatza pizza for me, with a hamburger “crust”, pizza with a garbanzo bean flour crust for the kids, salad

As always, there are a lot more menu ideas over at orgjunkie.com!

May7

Menu, Week of 5/5

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Last Saturday, April 27, I made a menu, I made a grocery list and I went to the store and bought all the things I needed to make that food. Then I came home and started reading my new book, Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It, by Gary Taubes, and I realized my menu plan was not going to work for me. I was surprised how much sense the information I was reading about low carb diets made to me–both from a scientific standpoint, and as a way of explaining what I was noticing in my own diet and weight loss results (or lack thereof).

I’ve been eating low carb ever since, and I think it is going well. I’ve lost 2.5 pounds in the last week, and I am less hungry and my clothes seem looser. I have more energy, too.

It is a bit of a menu-planning challenge, though. It is just so different from my usual way of planning. We are eating a lot more meat (much to the kids’ joy!), and meals are just different. I am not a fan of component type meals–a hunk of meat and side dishes–but I don’t have a lot of low carb casserole type dishes. It is taking a bit of time to adjust, which is all the more reason to plan ahead, right? I am still serving potatoes and other starchy sides for the kids as they are growing. I am a bit worried about their veggie intake, too, as most of the vegetables they like are the starchy ones, although they are big fans of broccoli, so that is good.

Sunday: Hamburgers at a friend’s house (I had mine with no bun and sliced avocado, tomato, onion, pickles and spicy mustard to dip), bell pepper strips

Monday: BBQ pork chop filets, broccoli, sauteed mushrooms for me, fries for the kids

Tuesday: Chicken with artichoke hearts and mushrooms, salad

Wednesday: Sloppy Joes, avocadoes, bell pepper strips, fries for the kids

Thursday: Salmon noodle casserole–because the boy really, really wants it!, salmon filet for me, green beans

Friday: Pizza made with garbanzo bean flour and Daiya cheese, which is still going to be a bit high in carbs, but much lower than traditional pizza (thinking about pepperoni and Italian sausage for toppings, plus mushrooms and red onions on my part), salad

Saturday: Having friends over for a BBQ–minted lamb burgers with feta and hummus, grilled cabbage and bacon, mushroom skewers (although I will probably just toss them in a grill basket), salad, steamed broccoli, maybe grilled artichokes, because the boy loves those, too

Lots more menus available at orgjunkie.com