Category Archives: menu plan Monday

Peer-pressuring our way to Menu Plan Monday

“Mama, did you post every day in November?”

“Yep.”

“Have you posted anything in December?”

“Nope.”

“You should post something.”

Alright, kiddo. Here’s something.

Saturday was relatively low-key at our house, but we had an action-packed Sunday. Church, Christmas play rehearsals, piano recitals, rearranging our bedroom, a high-speed dash through our favorite local craft show and the usual Sunday night dinner with Rockford’s parents. Today has thus far been blissfully quiet. I’m grateful for the busy times and even more grateful for the peace.

Here’s what we’ll be enjoying for dinner this week:

Monday: Frozen pizza
I think I made need to lay down some guidelines for these “kid’s choice” nights. We’ll also be having salad.

Tuesday: Sausages & macaroni
There was a good sale on Johnsonville sausages at the grocery last week.

Wednesday: Cereal
We will be scattered to the four winds most of Wednesday, and I’m not sure when or where we’ll all be dining.

Thursday: Tacos
It’s Pete’s choice night, and the only food he could think of was that ol’ standby, the taco. I’m fine with that.

Friday: Pizza
Friday is another crazy day for us, but we should be able to reconvene for pizza at some point.

Oh, and hey! I have a Hallmark giveaway that ends today. You should enter!

Hungry for more? Check out the Menu Plan Monday linkup at OrgJunkie.

Soup seems like a good plan for post-holiday dining

We had a really lovely and surprisingly productive Thanksgiving break. Poppy and I went to the movies twice (to see “Hidden Figures” and “Moana,” both of which we loved), Rockford and his team of junior Griswolds put up all of our Christmas decorations, we finally installed threshold pieces in the house where we’d taken up the old carpet, and we replaced a light fixture that broke an embarassingly long time ago.

Today we’re back to our regular schedule and our regular meal-planning. By which I mean, we’ll be eating tacos this week.

Monday: Chicken pot sticker soup
Our first stop at Trader Joe’s is always the sample kiosk, and that’s where we tried this soup. It’s just their miso-ginger broth with chicken and veggie pot stickers. We’ll also be having spring rolls. It’ll be a simple, light meal after our weekend of indulgence.

Tuesday: Festival of sides
Pete was pretty sad when the sweet potato casserole went home with its maker on Thanksgiving, so Rockford decided he’d make a whole new one for him. We’ll also have green bean casserole and rolls.

Wednesday: Grilled ham & cheese
Poppy talked a lot on Thanksgiving about how much she loves a “holiday ham,” but she won’t even try deli ham. It’s a mystery.

Thursday:Tacos
I asked the kids what they wanted for dinner this Thursday, and they agreed on tacos. Tacos are clearly a miracle meal.

Friday: Pizza
We’re supposed to get a good bit of rain this week, so it’s possible that the burn ban we’ve been under will be lifted and I’ll feel free to use the grill again. But I may order pizza rather than make it anyway. We’ll see how the week goes.

soup

Hungry for more? Check out the Menu Plan Monday linkup at OrgJunkie.

a menu plan for the week when I host Thanksgiving but only make one dish

We’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year, but I’m hardly doing anything. Rockford’s sister and her fiancé volunteered to do most of the meal, and our guests are bringing the rest. I’m not sure how I managed to snag such a deal this year, but I’m not arguing.

I will be making homemade mac and cheese for Thursday’s feast, and I made the base for a pear-caramel ice cream today. Here’s what we’ll be having the rest of the week:

Monday: Spaghetti and meatballs
I’d planned to make chicken with mustard-cream sauce tonight, but I made it last night instead. I made it for a seven people and I only have one pan that works well for sautéing chicken, so that step took awhile. It would be a really quick, simple dinner for our usual table for four, though, and it was really tasty. Until 5pm all I knew was that dinner wouldn’t be chicken with mustard-cream sauce. The kids wanted to go out, but I had a hankering for spaghetti and meatballs and not spending more money than necessary.

Tuesday: Cheeseburgers
I figure that’s what Rockford and Pete will be eating, anyway. Poppy and I are going out for dinner and a movie.

Wednesday: Sandwiches and salad
We always do something simple on Thanksgiving Eve.

Thursday: Thanksgiving!

Friday: Pizza
After Thursday’s feast, we may skip the pizza and just sip a light broth.

Hungry for more? Check out the Menu Plan Monday linkup at OrgJunkie.