Heather says:

I have been in a mood where nothing sounds good or worth the effort. If it weren’t for menu planning, everything would go to pot around dinner time, so there is that. Yesterday served as a perfect illustration. I scrapped the plans due to company, we had pork spare ribs -I used the same technique as for the beef in this recipe-, roasted broccoli, and pasta salad, but it took my husband and I a good hour of idea volleying before anything sounded remotely appealing. As an added bonus it was fab (yes, I am patting myself on the back) and there is more than enough for dinner tonight.

Do you have phases like this?

If so, how do you snap yourself out of them?

• Monday – L/O Ribs, pasta salad & roast broccoli
• Tuesday – Reubens for the adults, grilled cheese for the kids, unless they decide to brave the sauerkraut, cream of broccoli soup, sliced apples
• Wednesday –  White chicken chili – I’ve never made or even had this, so it’s a big Fearless Friday experiment.
• Thursday – C.O.R.N.
• Friday – Spaghetti with marinara, sautéed yellow squash
• Saturday – Pizza Night – Theme to be determined
• Sunday – Roast chicken, broiled asparagus, stove top macaroni and cheese

Do you menu plan? If so, I’d love to hear what you’re having for dinner this week. Feel free to share in the comments or link to your own site.

If you would like to get started menu planning, I put together a primer to help you out:

• Menu Planning Primer – Part 1
• Menu Planning Primer – Part 2
• Menu Planning Primer – Part 3

Heather says:

We spent most of February eating from the pantry stash, cheating with take-out, and having sandwiches or breakfast for dinner. We made it through without too much damage, but I spent quite a while at the grocery store yesterday replenishing. March thankfully has a fairly clear calendar.

This week I’ll be posting the March seasonal produce recipes, it’s time to get excited, we’re nearing the end of the winter produce!

Here’s our menu for the week. What are you having this week? Is there anything you are excited to try?

• Monday – Squishy-bean burritos – normal people refer to these as refried bean burritos-, Spanish rice, and fried green corn. The husband and I are also enjoying leftover albondigas, mexican meatball soup
• Tuesday – Garlic soy chicken thighs, turnips au gratin, green beans
• Wednesday – Short ribs, black-eyed peas, cauliflower cheese (this may be changed if I find a more interesting recipe for cauliflower I want to try), biscuits
• Thursday – C.O.R.N. *
• Friday – Cream of broccoli soup (I’m fixing the pictures on this post, hang tight, also since it’s for Friday I’ll be using vegetable stock), grilled cheese,
• Saturday – Pizza Night – Taco pizza style, raw veggies on the side
• Sunday - Roast chicken, more turnips, brussels sprouts, cornbread

Items in bold are those I hope to add to the site and C.O.R.N. is simply an acronym for Clean Out Refrigerator Night.

So, let’s hear what you’re having.

Heather says:

It feels far too early in the year, but Mardi Gras is in full swing and Lent begins Wednesday. Tell me, what’s on your menu this week?

• Monday – Chicken, peppers, and mushrooms; Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes
• Tuesday – Oatmeal and banana pancakes, scrambled eggs, fruit
• Wednesday – Simple fish stew*; homemade, crusty bread for the broth
• Thursday – Pasties, green beans, winter spinach salad
• Friday –  Lentil casserole, roasted broccoli
• Saturday –  Pizza Night – we’ve been off kilter, it’s time to relaunch this tradition
• Sunday  - Buttermilk fried chicken, braised greens, rice

*The fish stew is one I’ve been playing with for years, it’s close to what I want, but never quite there. I’ve also seen it under the name Bourtheto. I think this time I’ll use stock instead of water, but it’s still not ready for a post of its own.

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, grated
• 1 pound tomatoes, grated
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 8 potatoes peeled
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 (6 ounce) fillets firm white fish
• 1 pint water

Are you trying anything new this week or revisiting any favorites? Please share in the comments.

Submitted to Mindful Menus.

Heather says:
Well pantryless isn’t entirely accurate, Heidi and I did bring a few staples. That said, we’re both the type of cook who relies on a well-stocked pantry to create kitchen miracles without spending a fortune at the store. Here’s what we came up with to enjoy the week without being a slave to the kitchen or putting too large of a dent in our budget.

• Monday – Pizza & salads
  We could have ordered out, but the only place that delivers here is on the spendy side (14 for a large cheese + $2 for any additional topping. Yikes!)
• Tuesday – Slow roasted bbq chicken (we brought the rub), roasted green beans, potato salad
• Wednesday – Patty melts, steamed broccoli, potato wedges
• Thursday – Brinner (that’s breakfast for dinner)
• Friday – Chicken salad, fresh vegetables, crackers, fruit
• Saturday – Taco night + fridge clean out
• Sunday – on the road again

Heather says:

Would you look at that, it’s Monday again.

• Monday – Cottage pie (it’s like shepherds, only with beef), roasted broccoli
• Tuesday – Shredded pork tacos, black beans, guacamole
• Wednesday – Cabbage and leek soup, toasted cheese sandwiches
• Thursday – C.O.R.N.
• Friday – Blackened salmon, roasted green beans, cornbread, herbed & buttered parsnips
• Saturday – Third time’s the charm, right? – Taco Pizza
• Sunday – On the road again, just can’t wait  . . .

CORN = Clean out refrigerator night.

Next week’s menu should be a lot of fun. My children and I are heading to Florida with my foodie friend, Heidi. Between joint efforts in the kitchen and  a teenage clean up crew, it’s going to take a lot of self-control to not go nuts.

Tell me, what’s on your menu this week? Feel free to share or link in the comments.

Heather says:

The flu has hit our home, this will be a week of easing back toward normal.

• Monday – chicken noodle soup, crackers
• Tuesday – baked potato soup, tossed salad
• Wednesday – oven baked chimichangas, Spanish rice, refried beans
• Thursday – C.O.R.N.*
• Friday – clam chowder, cornbread, salad
• Saturday – Pizza Night (The taco pizza that didn’t happen)
• Sunday – roast beef, pan roasted Brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, gravy

*Clean Out Refrigerator Night

What’s on your menu? Feel free to link to your own site or to share in the comments.

Heather says:

Menu planning does a lot more than just keep my grocery budget in line, it prevents the 4pm refrigerator stare. We’ve all been there, right? You gaze into the depths of the produce bin waiting for something to jump into your arms shouting “Cook me! I’m delicious!”  A few minutes of planning on Monday morning (and a reminder on my calendar to pull ingredients from the freezer) saves me a lot of time and frustration.

• Monday – 15 Bean Soup, garlic & cheddar biscuits (remember those from Red Lobster?), Winter Wilted Spinach Salad
• Tuesday – Chicken fajitas, refried beans, Spanish rice
• Wednesday – C.O.R.N.
• Thursday – Pot roast, rice and gravy,roasted turnips, rutabaga & Brussels sprouts
• Friday – Dilled salmon, baked sweet potatoes, peas & almonds
• Saturday – Pizza night – I think I’ll experiment w/ taco pizza
• Sunday – Sticky chicken, glazed carrots, collard greens & northern beans

C.O.R.N. = Clean out Refrigerator Night

So tell me, what’s for dinner?

Heather says:

It looks as though menus and schedules will be what holds my sanity together over the next few months. This realization hit me as I contemplated just winging it this week.  When we feel pressed for time is when a routine can help keep the little tasks from spiraling out of control. You (read that as I) just have to remember to not sweat it when things don’t go as planned.

So, with that in mind here’s to Menu Monday.

Share what’s on your menu, either in the comments or with a link to your own blog or site. In addition to what’s listed,

• Monday – C.O.R.N. (Transparency, tonight may be a pizza treat for the kids if today’s 1000x errands don’t kill me)
• Tuesday – Braised beef shoulder roast; carrots, celery & onions, rice
• Wednesday – Pulled pork w/ gravy, collard green gratin (will probably downgrade to a casserole style), steamed broccoli
• Thursday – Tamale pie (shredded pork, black beans, corn, tomatoes) with a cornbread topping
• Friday – Some form of leek soup, blackened catfish, steamed vegetables
• Saturday – Calzones, fresh vegetables
• Sunday –  To be determined, it may be a lazy C.O.R.N. or a more adventurous jaunt into the depths of the freezer

C.O.R.N. = Clean Out Refrigerator Night

Tell me, what are you eating this week?

Heather says:

It’s a short week for most here in the United States. Well for those who have a normal work schedule anyhow. I really don’t know that many Monday to Friday 9 – 5ers, now that I think about it. Do you?

On to the menu:

• Monday – Date night, the kids will have macaroni and cheese, hotdogs, green beans (they get a treat, too)
• Tuesday – Pork chops with blackberry sauce, cabbage, roast vegetables (carrots, turnips, parsnips)
• Wednesday – Chicken enchiladas, refried beans, Spanish rice
• Thursday – Thanksgiving Dinner
• Friday – Blackened shrimp over Caesar salads
• Saturday – Calzones + salads
• Sunday – Cornish pasties (pronounce it pass- tees, unless I’ve been lied to), steamed broccoli, soup if I’m in the mood to make it

What’s on your menu this week? Are you going to experiment with anything for Thanksgiving? If you have a blog, feel free to link to it in the comments, if not just share it in the comments.

Heather says:

It’s a shop from the fridge and pantry kind of week. I have a bunch of potatoes that need to be used up. I’ll round everything out with fresh produce.

• Monday – Loaded baked potato soup, spinach salad
• Tuesday – Trying out recipes from the BBC – pan grilled sirloin, yorkshire pudding, buttered cabbage, potatoes gratin
• Wednesday – C.O.R.N.
• Thursday –  Company Spaghetti with meat sauce, 7 layer salad, garlic bread
• Friday – Pan fried catfish, cheese grits, steamed vegetables
• Saturday – Homemade pizza night (pizza crust recipe / pizza sauce recipe )
• Sunday – Beef shoulder roast in red wine, pan roasted vegetables, cheesy broccoli rice casserole

Tell me, what’s on your menu this week? Are you trying anything new.  Are there any seasonal items you’ve been waiting to add to your menu? Feel free to share or link to your own menu plan in the comments.