Tag Archives: meal planning

menu plan Monday

The last busy weekend. (For now.)

It is possible that we have reached the end of our Season of Very Busy Weekends. Hallelujah, so say we all.

We were a house divided on Saturday, with Rockford and Pete journeying over hill and dale to attend a high school graduation and Poppy and I at the soccer fields for her marathon games. Rockford and Pete had a lovely time celebrating the Eldest Nephew; Poppy won three games and lost two and played more ferociously than I’ve seen her play all season; and I alternated between dodging raindrops and applying sunscreen for five hours of very odd weather.

Yesterday we were together again, and it was a rather nice day. We started off the day with another wild-goose chase to look at real estate for my dad — the road this house was on ended in someone else’s driveway, and when I emailed the realtor to ask for directions he said “Oh, you don’t want that house.” Later I followed Tyler Florence’s instructions for BBQ chicken, and Rockford and The Brother-in-Law Who Was Promised (aka my sister-in-law’s fiancé) pulled all the weeds out of our jungle-like flowerbeds and then we ended the weekend watching Bran ruin everything (Beware: The night is dark and full of spoilers).

Tonight is the first of four more evenings of soccer for Poppy, who is trying out for the top-of-the-heap team in her age group. Cross your fingers for her.

Monday: Hot ham-and-cheese sandwiches
It was going to be grilled-cheese night, but Pete, as Pete is wont to do, requested more protein.
Tuesday: Fish sticks and mac & cheese
My mom and the kids discovered their mutual love of fish sticks not terribly long ago, and now they want fish sticks and mac every time she visits.

Wednesday: Sausage alfredo
The sausage alfredo recipe popped up on either Facebook or Pinterest as an ad, and I thought it sounded pretty good. We’re going to give it a shot.

Thursday: Cheeseburgers
If we’re having cheeseburgers, chances are good that it’s Pete’s Choice night.

Friday: Pizza

Hungry for more? Check out a whole bunch of menu plans at OrgJunkie.com.

menu plan Monday

I am still waiting for you, autumnal weather

I’ve been yearning for fall weather — just like I always do this time of year — so over the weekend I tried to conjure up some cooler weather by making Mrs. Happy Homemaker’s Beef Stew for dinner. It purports to be the Best Beef Stew Ever, and it is pretty terrific. It has a nice flavor and the beef was really tender, but I felt like the potatoes were working overtime to make up the bulk of the dish. Next time I’ll add a few more carrots and maybe also some red wine in place of some of the water.

I started the stew in the slow cooker around 10:30am and didn’t have to touch it again until dinnertime. I need to remember to put the slow cooker to use more frequently on the weekends. It helped us have a super-relaxed Sunday.

Monday: Chicken and dumplings
Yesterday’s beef stew was tasty, but it didn’t quite convince fall to make an appearance. Maybe Rachael Ray’s chicken and dumplings will do the trick.

Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner
Breakfast for dinner is generally a very basic affair. This week, though, I’m going to make a hashbrown casserole a la Cracker Barrel.

Wednesday: Spaghetti
I’m going to let you in on a secret: I already don’t want spaghetti for dinner on Wednesday. But I had pasta and sauce in the pantry, so we’re going to use it. By golly.

Thursday: Poppyseed chicken casserole
I used to make a lot of recipes that called for cream-of-something soups. I’ve mostly stopped making them, but there will never be a day when Poppyseed Chicken isn’t in my recipe box.

Friday: Pizza

What’s your favorite slow cooker recipe?

Want more menus? Check out Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie.com.