Weekly Menu Retrospective #113

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!

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Breakfasts:
Granola with yogurt, leftover cornbread, Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins (variation of this recipe on p. 96)

Lunches: 
leftovers, sandwiches, pizza, scrambled eggs and salad

Dinners:

Monday: Taco Platters, strawberry coconut pineapple smoothies, butter tart bars 

Tuesday: Sausage and Egg Cups (recipe coming soon!), tossed salad 

Wednesday: Spicy Pork Pasta Salad, tossed salad

Thursday: Salsa and Bacon Baked Beans (variation of this recipe), Cornbread (p. 212)

Friday: Classic Beef Burgers (p. 125), Easy Oven Fries (p. 194)
  
Saturday: Herbed Cheese Omelettes, tossed salad

Sunday: Herb and Buttermilk Chicken, Southwestern-Spiced Barley Salad, tossed salad, Lemon Blueberry Polenta Cake (p. 224)

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 milk, coconut oil (in granola), olive oil, raisins, sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), tortilla chips, flax seeds, lemons, coffee (locally roasted and delivered by bike!), cornstarch, cane sugar,  mustard, tamari, cinnamon, oregano, ginger, cumin, black pepper, parsley, paprika, Fairytale tea, peppermint tea, lemon balm, oatstraw

Local: potatoes, onions, red peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, salsa (home-canned), ground beef, sausage and bacon (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), milk

Local AND organic: sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), oats, milk (used to make yogurt), eggs (not "certified organic", but real free range and fed organic feed), apple cider vinegar,  popcorn, cornmeal, whole wheat flour

Want to know more about the specific food products I use and where I buy them? Check out my new "What's In My Pantry" board on Pinterest.  I will keep this board updated with current information on what products we use, where we're buying them, and how much we're paying. It's a work-in-progress, and you can find it HERE.

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

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