Monday, November 5, 2012

Weekly Menu Retrospective #86

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.  

Breakfasts:
Granola (p. 92), Orange Pineapple Muffins (p. 100), peanut butter toast, Baked Oatmeal (p. 91)

Lunches: 
leftovers, sandwiches, pizza 

Dinners:

Monday: Everything-But-the-Kitchen-Sink Lentil Soup (p. 162), Cornbread (p. 212)

Tuesday: Cheesy Mac and Beef Skillet (p. 148)

Wednesday: Sausage, Broccoli and Mozzarella Egg Puff (variation of the recipe on p. 181)

Thursday: Sausage on a Bun, Easy Oven Fries (p. 194)

[Yes, we did have sausage two nights in a row!! For Wednesday's dinner, only 2 finely chopped sausages were added to the egg dish. Thursday I ended up needing a super easy dinner as I ended up going out for the evening unexpectedly. Given the food supplies in the house and the fact that we'd already eaten two of my standard speedy meals earlier in the week, this was what we ended up with. Hey, at least I fed the kids before I went out :)]

Friday: Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes served over Coconut Rice (p. 199)

Saturday: Creamy Tuna Pasta with Peas and Carrots (p. 146)

Sunday: Tex-Mex Shepherd's Pie (p. 173), Colourful Cabbage Salad (p. 207), Apple and Carrot Salad (p. 208), Pull-Apart Parmesan and Herb Breadsticks (variation of this recipe, p. 214)

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 (in granola), coconut oil (in granola), coconut milk, canola oil, raisins (in granola), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), bananas

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, apples, cabbage, cucumbers, garlic, salsa (home-canned), ground beef and sausage (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), milk, eggs, sour cream  

Local AND organic: peanut butter,
sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), oats (in granola and baked oatmeal), cornmeal

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.
  
Love what you read here? Find out how you can help support this blog. 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

Click HERE to follow me on Pinterest (yes, I finally succumbed!!)

Click HERE to follow me on Twitter

Click HERE to like Abundance on a Dime on Facebook and get updates and tips on living frugally

Click HERE to like Cheap Appétit on Facebook and get updates and tips on frugal eating and cooking

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts with Thumbnails