Weekly Menu Retrospective #68 (Birthday Edition)

 Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

If you'd like a whole book full of inexpensive, quick and kid-approved recipes, check out my book, Cheap Appétit : The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible) on Amazon (Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon UK) and Barnes and Noble.  It's gotten multiple 5 star reviews!! I've included page references to recipes that are in the book in my menu plans so you can locate them quickly. For more details about the book, go here. 

Oh, by the way, it just happens to be my 41st birthday today :) I can't quite believe I've been hanging out on the planet for this long already, but I guess since I will be the mom of TWO teenagers before the year is out, it must be true. I won a free hour long massage with my awesome massage therapist Bobbi Jo Turner in a Mother's Day draw and I'm going to have it this evening - what a great birthday present!

Breakfasts:
Granola (p.92), leftover cornbread with jam, blueberry buttermilk pancakes, French toast

Lunches: 
leftovers, pizza, sandwiches, German potato salad 

Dinners:

Monday: Turkey Pasta Salad, Southwestern-Spiced Barley and Vegetable Salad (p. 206), Apple and Bacon Baked Beans (p. 177), Layered Salad (no, I didn't spend all day in the kitchen - all but the pasta salad were leftovers from hosting an extended-family dinner on Sunday)

Tuesday: Fish a l'Orange (p.192), Coconut Rice (p. 199), roasted asparagus

Wednesday: Build your own dinner salad (greens and assorted chopped veggies, plus seeds, raisins, and shredded chicken for topping)

Thursday: Black Bean and Roasted Vegetable Salad (recipe coming on Wednesday!), cornbread (p. 212)

Friday: Broccoli, Asparagus and Parmesan Frittata (used up the last of the roasted asparagus), leftover cornbread

Saturday: Spicy Pork Sandwich Pockets (recipe coming soon), leftover black bean and roasted vegetable salad

Sunday: Lemon and Garlic Chicken (p. 184), Cheesy Vegetable Casserole (p. 203) variation (I made it using the last of the black bean and roasted vegetable salad, plus some steamed broccoli, basic recipe is on page )

In keeping with my local and organic challenge, I'd also like to note the local and/or organic items on this week's menu:

Organic: coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut, sunflower oil, brown sugar (in granola), cane sugar (in coffee/tea),  raisins (in granola), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), flax seeds (in bread), bananas, navy beans (used to make baked beans), black beans, romaine lettuce, lemons, green onions, popcorn, tortilla chips

Local: apples, potatoes, carrots, onions, cucumbers (hothouse), red peppers (hothouse), asparagus (finally!!), milk, eggs, sour cream 

Local AND organic: oats (in granola), sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), milk (used to make yogurt)

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com

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