Weekly Menu Retrospective #72

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) with homemade yogurt, banana blueberry oatmeal muffins (subbed blueberries for chocolate chips in this recipe on p. 96),  blueberry buttermilk pancakes

Lunches: 
salads, leftovers, pizza, tuna melts 

Dinners:

Monday: Leftover Baked Beans (fruitless version of Apple and Bacon Baked Beans on p.177), pork ribs, sauteed asparagus

Tuesday: Thai-Style Peanutty Pasta (p. 147)

Wednesday: Black Bean Chili (meatless version of recipe on p. 160)

Thursday: Hamburgers, potato salad

Friday: Dinner salads with assorted veggies, shredded poached chicken and cheddar cheese

Saturday: Out at a party

Sunday: Barbecued pork chops, alfredo noodles with fresh herbs, tossed salad with honey-orange vinaigrette, butter tart squares

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, canola oil, brown sugar (in granola), cane sugar (in coffee/tea),  raisins (in granola and butter tart squares), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), flax seeds (in bread), bananas, navy beans (in baked beans), lemons

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, cucumbers, red peppers, zucchini, strawberries, pork chops, ribs and ground beef (from VG Meats), milk, eggs, sour cream  

Local AND organic: oats (in granola and muffins), sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), milk (used to make yogurt), lettuce (from West Hamilton Produce Cooperative*), arugula, raspberries and herbs from our backyard garden, saskatoon berries (foraged)

*The WHPC produce is not "certified organic" but is pesticide-free.

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

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