Weekly Menu Retrospective #93

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.    

We cooked our turkey on New Year's Day (we had Christmas dinner at my dad's) so this week's menu features lots of leftover bird! 

Breakfasts:
Granola (p. 92), Chocolate Zucchini Muffins (p. 114), Upside Down Apple Oven Pancake (p. 95)

Lunches: 
leftovers, sandwiches

Dinners:

Monday: Black Bean Chili (p. 160) with tortilla chips

Tuesday: Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, carrots, gravy, assorted Christmas cookies

Wednesday: Leftovers from Tuesday

Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner: scrambled eggs, bacon, toast

Friday: Southwestern Beef & Pasta Soup, p. 166

Saturday: Leftover Buffet

Sunday: Turkey & Vegetable Coconut Curry (variation of this recipe on p. 136)

 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), flax seeds, coffee (locally roasted and delivered by bike!), tortilla chips, cane sugar (in hot beverages and yogurt), mustard, parsley, orange peel, Fairytale tea

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, apples, garlic, red peppers, zucchini, salsa (home-canned), ground beef,  (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), milk, eggs, sour cream 

Local AND organic: peanut butter, sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), oats (in granola), milk (used to make yogurt), apple cider vinegar, popcorn, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour

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