Author Topic: Meal planning 2018  (Read 60753 times)

Bee21

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #50 on: February 24, 2018, 02:05:07 PM »
Next week
Monday - chicken in curried yoghurt sauce, rice, broccoli
Tuesday - leftover pork roast
Wednesday- pasta
Thursday- gnocchi and chorizo, plus peas (or just plain sautee potato if we run out of time)
Friday- pizza
Sat-thai beef salad
Sunday- roast something

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #51 on: February 24, 2018, 04:24:35 PM »
Here's what we're having for the week:

Friday - made naan/pita pizzas out of leftovers (pesto, peppers, grapes, red sauce, chicken - not all on the same pizzas)
Saturday - I'm making a Persian dish called Lubia Polo (rice, ground beef, green beans, etc)
Sunday - Beef tacos
Monday - leftover lubia polo
Tuesday  - leftover tacos
Wednesday - likely taco quesadillas & taquitos
Thursday - if we have any other leftovers, we will eat that. Otherwise, lasagna from the freezer
Friday - chicken pilaf

Abe

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #52 on: February 24, 2018, 06:35:35 PM »

Bee21

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #53 on: February 25, 2018, 01:36:49 AM »
Aaaargh. I was a bit off after a root canal treatment on Friday and I did not have the energy to drop off the kids lunches at the afterschool care. Poor things, they will have to tough it out with sandwiches.😂 i baked a batch of cookies and muffins to compensate but it won't be easy for them. We pick them up at 6, so it is long day, they are famished by then.


horsepoor

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #54 on: February 25, 2018, 11:18:45 AM »
Menu plan for this week planned around veggies from the Bountiful Basket picked up on Friday:

S - Brats with homemade rolls and sauerkraut, sauteed cherry tomatoes and asparagus (have no-knead bread rising, will use half for rolls for tonight, the other half for a small loaf for tomorrow)
M - Split pea soup and bread (already did all the chopping and have it in a container in the fridge, just add stock and water in the morning)
T - Chicken and roasted veggies (about to go prep the veggies for this)
W - Miso tofu, noodles, zucchini (will drain and dice tofu and prep marinade today)
R - Salmon, roasted cabbage & potatoes (easy meal, I have the salmon seasoned and portioned in the freezer, will cook sous vide from frozen)
F - Leftovers

Stachetastic

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #55 on: February 25, 2018, 02:51:07 PM »
I meal plan very loosely, because I have a hard time predicting what will result in enough leftovers for another meal and what will be devoured in one go. We have a very picky 5 year old, so he eats cold cuts, pickles, cheese, pretzels, and buttered pasta. In whatever configuration I throw together.

This week for the adults (in no particular order)

~Pork chops with asparagus and salad. Peach cobbler for dessert. (Tonight since the pork chops need used up and the cobblers already made.)

~BBQ beef ribs in crock pot over egg noodles. Salad

~Baked penne with sausage and marinara. Salad

~Grilled cheese on sourdough with store bought red pepper/tomato soup

~Cabbage, keilbasa, and pierogies



DCKatie09

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #56 on: February 25, 2018, 07:04:04 PM »
This week was also based mostly around what’s in the crisper drawer.

Tonight was this cabbage meatloaf (kalpudding, from the nytimes) w/ sale ground turkey. (Really tasty!!)

Tomorrow is stir fry with asparagus, bell pepper, and mushroom.

Tuesday is roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts with pecans, bacon, and cranberries.

Weds is pasta w/ meatballs and jarred sauce.

Thurs is a crockpot freezer meal.

Friday is whatever’s left in the fridge.

slughorn

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #57 on: February 25, 2018, 07:43:28 PM »
1.  Need to eat down the freezers.
2.  Trying to get leftovers actually used up.
3.  No young children.  Everyone old enough to cook a meal, or at least heat up their own leftovers.

Sunday -  leftovers (lasagna, pizza, Alfredo chicken pasta). Fend for yourself.
Monday - freezer challenge:  crockpot corned beef, potatoes, coleslaw, crudités
Tuesday - sausage/lentil stew, spicy tamales from freezer, bread maker bread
Wednesday - minestrone, bread maker bread
Thursday - leftovers, fend for yourself
Friday - fish, rice, crudités.  (Alternate:  grilled cheese, tomato soup, crudités.)
Saturday - spinach tortellini soup

kaypinkHH

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #58 on: February 26, 2018, 09:25:30 AM »
Round 2 of mega cooking this past weekend!


- Breakfast slider sandwiches x 12
- Mexican Lasagna x 10
- Slowcooker Moroccan Stew (Squash, Chickpeas, sweet potato, lentils, to be served with rice or quinoa and arugula) x 10 (? Haven't portioned it out, but it is massive)
- Mediterranean Chickpea wraps x 8
- Arugula Pesto Pasta w/tuna x 6

Plan is to eat the Wraps and pasta first since they are not freezer friendly. Lasagna and Stew is in the freezer, and breakfast sandwiches are split half and half. We still have a ton of stuff left from round 1 of mega cooking 2 weeks ago, and our freezer is now refilled from this weeks activities. I think we may need to look into getting a small deep freezer!

Drole

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #59 on: February 27, 2018, 07:33:18 PM »
I'm working on pork meals for the kids this week.

Monday: pork chops + rice and veg
Tuesday: make your own chipotle'ish bowls: pork, quinoa, rice, sweet potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, cuc, celery, red peppers, carrots, hummus, cheese
Wednesday: pork eggrolls/spring rolls
Thursday: curry
Friday: steaks

horsepoor

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #60 on: March 03, 2018, 06:12:05 PM »
I got started early this week to make sure we used up all the more persishable veggies in this week's Bountiful Basket.

Tonight:  Wedge salad, Chorizo kale dirty rice
Sunday:  Cauliflower, yam and silken tofu curry
Monday: Swiss chard, ham & mozzarella spaghetti squash frittata, roasted asparagus
Tuesday: Chicken fajitas, black beans
Wednesday: Chicken fajitas, black beans
Thursday: Unstuffed cabbage
Friday:  Salmon, roasted broccoli

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #61 on: March 03, 2018, 07:56:16 PM »
Things at work have gotten crazy, and we've eaten through most of our freezer staples. That's a problem, because March is looking to be crazy through the rest of the month. Yikes.

Here's the menu plan:
Friday - I found a hail mary frozen chicken dish & threw that together without even knowing what it was. Turned out to be chicken & goat cheese risotto
Saturday - Grilled chicken & rice (it's a huge batch of chicken. We grill an entire Costco pack at a time, & freeze leftovers in dinner sized servings)
Sunday - naan pizzas (1/2 with tomato sauce & cheddar + cheese, 1/2 with pesto sauce & parmesan + chicken)
Monday - leftover chicken & rice
Tuesday - taco quesadillas
Wednesday - Spaghetti & meatballs
Thursday - lasagna
Friday - kids/husband will eat out. I'm out of town
Saturday - leftover lasagna
Sunday - TBD

Stachetastic

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #62 on: March 04, 2018, 03:24:15 PM »
We ended up with a couple meals worth of leftovers last week, so we’ve still got lots of dinner options for this week:

Baked ziti with sausage, salad (tonight)
Cabbage/keilbasa/peirogi
Mushroom Joes with sautéed zucchini, salad
Corned beef reubens, pasta salad
Frozen pizza

Made a batch of tuna salad for lunches, and boiled some eggs for breakfasts. Also have lots of fruit for snacks and desserts.

slughorn

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #63 on: March 05, 2018, 09:21:22 PM »
Still eating down the freezer:

Sunday - pierogis, salad
Monday - Meatloaf, steamed broccoli, baked potatoes
Tuesday - pork fried rice, salad
Wednesday - BBQ pork sandwiches, crudités
Thursday - leftovers
Friday - fish, coleslaw
Saturday - soup, grilled cheese

StarBright

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #64 on: March 06, 2018, 08:11:07 AM »
@kaypinkHH  - I am intrigued by breakfast slider sandwiches - do you have a recipe/directions link?


I'm super tired of winter food and we are deep into repeat territory here, but at least we are relatively healthy and the kids aren't complaining :)

Sat: Seared tuna over caesar salad
Sun: red beans and rice (kids ate the sausage and cornbread and carrot sticks - because they aren't beans and rice people)
Monday: Tacos
Tuesday: Pasta w/ spinach sauce
Wednesday: Sloppy Joes (mushroom/beef), salad, and roasted root veggies
Thursday: tortilla crusted tilapia and salad
Friday: Pizza Night!


DCKatie09

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #65 on: March 06, 2018, 10:23:28 AM »
This is a busy/stressful week at work, so I went with things that were on the more mindless side.

Sunday: bulked-up Southwest protein blend (frozen bag, plus peppers/celery/onion, chipotle peppers, a diced potato, a can of black beans, and some salsa)
Monday: pasta w/ chicken sausage, mushrooms, broccoli, and jarred pasta sauce
Tuesday: out w/ friends
Weds: crockpot freezer chicken chili (need to pull it out to defrost overnight), plus a sweet potato
Thursday: mashed potatoes, the last two chicken sausages, and a veggie side (probably spinach?)
Friday: stare at the fridge and see what looks good/leftovers
Saturday: vacation!!

LMBB

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #66 on: March 06, 2018, 11:18:51 AM »
PTF - meal planning/lunch prep helps me eat healthy (lost 10 lbs since Jan 2018) and save money, plus makes the weeknights tolerable without resorting to PB&J or spaghetti every night.

This week our plan is:

Breakfasts - freezer burritos with egg, cheese, and roasted potatoes. Sometimes with black beans or sausage. I make a giant batch about twice a month. I'm the only one that eats them though. My girls prefer cereal or toast in the morning and my husband eats oatmeal at the office.

Lunches - Taco rice and black bean mix, raw veg and homemade hummus, fruit (again, me only. Daughter 1 likes to pack snacky lunches - a fruit, vegetable, hard boiled egg, crackers - or sandwiches and fruit each day. Daughter 2 eats lunch at daycare. Husband probably eats more oatmeal. How he survives is beyond me)

Mon - Boxed mac 'n' Cheese (special request of daughter 1, not the norm)
Tues - Spaghetti with meat sauce (LOL - 2 days into the week and I'm already totally contradicting my previous statement)
Wed - Cottage pie with ground turkey
Thurs - Fish and roast veg
Fri - Homemade pizza and salad
Sat - Leftovers
Sunday - Depends on meal plan for next week, this is my meal prep day and we usually eat some of whatever I'm making for my lunches the following week.

kaypinkHH

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #67 on: March 06, 2018, 12:49:26 PM »
@StarBright found them via a youtube autoplay...best "wasted time" ever :D.

Here is the link:
https://tasty.co/recipe/breakfast-sliders

I made a double batch of them again this weekend for a brunch, this time 12 with Ham, Egg and cheese, and the other 12 with Ham egg spinach and cheese. I was able to make 24 breakfast sandwiches in about 30 minutes...fantastic time rate of return! Other weekends I have done bacon, egg, spinach and cheese. Little more time because you have to cook the bacon. May experiment with breakfast sausages in the future.


Well Respected Man

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #68 on: March 10, 2018, 07:45:58 PM »
Joining. I'm very impressed with the level of organization here. Our family is in transition, with MIL having moved to an assisted living arrangement, and kids in college or heading there. Instead of being able to eat a whole ham within a week, we are often cooking for just two people.

We are also moving gradually towards vegetarian and vegan meals. We are currently targeting 3 vegan dinners per week, plus vegan before 6 for DW, no farm raised seafood, and only cage free eggs. I tried vegan butter and cream cheese recently, and they seem fine. I also checked out a vegan cheese making book from the library, which seems like a possibly very mustachian way to go vegan.

We often try to cook vegan meals on Sunday and Monday, so that DW can pack vegan leftovers for lunch. I work at home, so I have flexibility, and don't get first claim on leftovers. Lately, I've been lacking in leftovers, so I've been buying cold cuts and having a wrap with spinach, cold cuts, and jalapenos.

We plan and shop on Saturday, so here's today's plan:

Sat 3/10 - Cauliflower taco bowls with tortilla crumbles - VEGAN
Sun 3/11 - Tacos (son is home on spring break, got a manager's special on ground beef)
Mon 3/12 - Sausages, cabbage and apple salad
Tue 3/13 - Tomato and cabbage tabouleh - VEGAN
Wed 3/14 - Beef brisket pulled pork sandwiches, roast potatoes, carrots, salad
Thu 3/15 - Leftover brisket pulled pork, roast potatoes, carrots, salad
Fri 3/16 - Rice/beans from freezer, salad - VEGAN

I was planning to buy beef brisket on sale, but it was ~$8/lb., while the corned beef brisket was on sale for $1.60/lb. Instead, I bought a pork shoulder for $1.49/lb., and we will switch it up. All the typical St. Patrick's Day ingredients were on sale, so that's why we are having cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. If we have leftover pulled pork, I'll freeze it on a cookie sheet to make carnitas in a week or two.

Drole

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #69 on: March 11, 2018, 06:55:47 PM »
We're traveling but decided I needed to plan to keep DH out of the store.  I'm on a vegan diet so I eat portions of meals below and add stuff.

tonight: chicken curry
Monday lunch: ham/cheese/pickles/salad kids, leftover chix for DH
Monday dinner: turkey burgers + pineapple (that's like a veg, right?)
Tuesday lunch: mini sausages/leftover curry chicken for kids, DH TBD
Tuesday PM: roasted chicken + broccoli
Wednesday lunch: mini sausages for kids, leftover chix for the DH
Wednesday dinner: tuna and salmon for DH & kids with noodles and corn

Thursday is a partial travel day...so chaos.

horsepoor

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #70 on: March 11, 2018, 10:06:07 PM »
This week's plan:

Sunday: Braised lamb shank, saffron rice, salad
Monday: Leftovers, salad
Tuesday: Tuna/lentil salad (I'll be on the road)
Wednesday: Tamales, coleslaw
Thursday: Salmon, coleslaw
Friday: Roast chicken & potatoes

kaypinkHH

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #71 on: March 13, 2018, 08:52:36 AM »
Mega cooking round 3!! (We bought a deep freezer off Kijiji, I think it will pay for it self!)

Weekend:
- Vegan fried Rice with peanut sauce x 8 - Some for lunches/some for freezer
- Indian food combo dish (Butter chicken, Saag, Bhartha) with rice x 9- Freezer
- Veggie Spicy Burritos x 10 - Freezer
- Chopped a bunch of carrots, celery and strawberries for snacks, and pre chopped the veggies for steak dinner last night
- Made some party food for a party on Saturday
- Salmon burgers with fries and coleslaw x 4  Dinner Sunday/Dinner tomorrow

Last night:
- Steak and mushrooms with mashed potatoes, and roasted veg and peppercorn sauce x 6 - Dinner Monday, Lunch today and tomorrow

Week plans:
- Tonight and Thursday- Dinner at in-laws

Om nom nom food stuffs.

I'm so pumped that we haven't wasted a ton of food since moving into our new house. A few rotten strawberries here and there (from buying cheap strawberries), but overall we are clearing out our fridge every Friday!

slughorn

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #72 on: March 13, 2018, 08:22:58 PM »

Sunday - meatball subs,salad
Monday - chicken Alfredo pasta, salad
Tuesday - stuffed peppers
Wednesday - chicken pot pie, crudités
Thursday - sloppy Joes, leftovers, crudités
Friday - evening errands, pizza
Saturday - (St Patrick's Day) - corned beef

Bee21

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #73 on: March 19, 2018, 04:20:02 AM »
So

Monday- beef stir fry, veg n rice
Tuesday- bolognese
Wednesday - meatloaf(freezer) broccoli, mash
Thursday- chicken pot pie, salad
Friday- pizza or lentil shep pie w sweat potatoes
Sat- eat out.
Sunday- roast pork etc

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #74 on: March 19, 2018, 07:06:01 AM »
I didn't have a meal plan last week,& let me tell you how uncomfortable & stressed out it made me. So, back on the wagon this week.

Saturday - naan pizzas (kids, it was a birthday) & chicken curry
Sunday - kebabs, rice & yogurt sauce
Monday - leftover curry, & taco quesadillas for the kids
Tuesday - leftover kebabs & rice
Wednesday - I'm guessing there will still be leftover curry, & kids will eat remaining naan pizzas
Thursday - spaghetti & meatballs
Friday - chicken fajita skillet

I love having a plan!

DCKatie09

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #75 on: March 19, 2018, 08:04:07 AM »
I've got some busy evenings this week, and failed at actually planning yesterday, so here's me attempting to think through what's in the fridge:

Sunday - Chicken tortellini w/ broccoli and marinara (made 3 servings leftovers)
Monday - Stirfry w/ cabbage and asparagus (I'm not thrilled with this idea - will probably google "cabbage and asparagus" and see if I can find something else - or if you all have any ideas??)
Tuesday - need something super quick before a 7pm meeting - maybe a crockpot dinner from the freezer?
Wednesday - I'm busy, DH will eat leftovers
Thursday - need something super quick after a 6pm meeting - DH might make something from the freezer (pizza or bag of pasta) and I'll eat it when I get home?
Friday - what's left in the crisper drawer??

kaypinkHH

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #76 on: March 22, 2018, 09:49:32 AM »
Over on the Reduce Your Grocery Spend thread, I offered some meal planning help. In doing so I created a sample meal plan for mega cooking. Figured I would also share here if anyone is looking for ideas!!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DGOPmLigiCBMZxmbWq6yFATp6TyFakbcsGT180yp0h4/edit?usp=sharing

Mega cooking round 4 (ish)...
Last weekend I made 24 servings of gnocchi our of 10 lbs of potatos. In doing so I ended up with a ton of leftover potato skins and have been eating potato skins in various forms.

Sunday PM: Soup from my in-laws with a side of potato skins topped with salami, goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella...om nom nom.
Monday PM: Did groceries and had freezer Chili -wahoo having things prepped. Made a egg roll filling casserole for lunches, and Donair meat (local delicacy).
Tuesday PM: Donair Potato Skins and Greek Salad
Wednesday PM: Sandwichs, roasted brussel sprouts and FINAL POTATO SKINS (seriously...10lbs of potatoes makes too many potato skins)
Thursday PM: Freezer Mexican Lasagna.
Friday PM: Sandwiches (road trip food).

Well Respected Man

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #77 on: March 26, 2018, 05:58:05 AM »
Forgot about this thread, but didn't forget to meal plan. Last week was a little weird, with DW out so much:

Sat 3/17 - Cod w/mango salsa
Sun 3/18 - Carrot soup, bread, salad - VEGAN - didn't happen, had leftover cod instead
Mon 3/19 - DW out - sausages, potatoes, broccoli
Tue 3/20 - Pasta with red sauce, salad - VEGAN
Wed 3/21 - DW out - leftover pulled pork
Thu 3/22 - DW out, DD out - leftover pasta - VEGAN

This week:

Sun 3/25 - Carrot soup, bread, salad - VEGAN
Mon 3/26 - Indian rice/beans from freezer, salad - VEGAN
Tue 3/27 - Tofu stir fry - VEGAN
Wed 3/28 - Onion soup, bread/cheese, salad
Thu 3/29 - Braised chicken thighs w/carrots, potatoes, onions
Fri 3/30 - Leftovers

We got 10 lbs. of potatoes, so I guess I'll make gnocchi and freeze it, as someone else mentioned up-thread.

slughorn

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #78 on: March 26, 2018, 02:18:28 PM »
This past weekend, we smoked turkey breasts and pork loin.  (Vacuum-sealed half of the smoked meats and put into freezer).

Also, we got ground angus on quick-sale.  The ground beef went into the crock pot -- cook till done; then will drain and turn into crumbles, which become Sloppy Joes and tacos.

Sunday - smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, salad/coleslaw
Monday - Sloppy Joes, salad
Tuesday - tacos {beef crumbles or leftover turkey}, crudités 
Wednesday - smoked pork, baked potatoes, brussels sprouts, salad
Thursday - pork fried rice
Friday - bean burritos
Saturday - leftovers
« Last Edit: March 26, 2018, 02:21:54 PM by slughorn »

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #79 on: March 27, 2018, 07:15:32 AM »
Husband is traveling, so the kids & I have been a bit more flexible with planning this week:

Friday - chicken fiesta skillet
Saturday - french toast w/berries & a salad
Sunday - out, using a gift card
Monday - I had leftover chicken fiesta skillet, the kids had spaghetti & meatballs
Tuesday - soup & salad
Wednesday - leftover spaghetti & meatballs
Thursday - burgers (freezer) + salad
Friday - pancakes w/berries & a salad
Saturday - tacos
Sunday - Easter bunny pasta + chicken

Well Respected Man

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #80 on: March 31, 2018, 02:08:35 PM »
Last week, I took out what I thought was Indian rice and beans, but it turned out to be chili with meat -- yummy, but missed the goal of three vegan dinners. We'll have it this week instead:

Sat 3/31 - Cod, asparagus
Sun 4/1 - Out
Mon 4/2 - Cauliflower/celeriac soup from freezer, salad - VEGAN
Tue 4/3 - Indian rice/beans from freezer, salad - VEGAN
Wed 4/4 - Sausages, applesauce, potatoes
Thu 4/5 - Pasta w/marinara, salad - VEGAN
Fri 4/6 - Leftovers


MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #81 on: April 01, 2018, 08:26:58 PM »
Menu planning for the week:
Sunday - we had bunny pasta & meatballs + salad
Monday - chicken pastina casserole
Tuesday - tacos
Wednesday - leftover chicken pastina
Thursday - leftover tacos
Friday - out to dinner


StarBright

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #82 on: April 02, 2018, 05:52:06 AM »
I thought I'd check in to see people's creative use of Easter Leftovers :)

Sunday: Ham, Cheese Grits, green beans and Lemon Chess Pie
Monday: Marcella Hazan's Spinach Pasta w/ Ham
Tuesday: Fish, salad, leftover green beans
Wednesday: Ham 'n Beans, squash cornbread
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Pizza


horsepoor

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #83 on: April 02, 2018, 07:13:01 AM »
I am loving my Google Drive system - this is the longest I've stuck with meal planning.  I use a table template and add in what I expect to be doing each day - that way I can easily readjust the meal if my plans change (e.g. grab the easier meal for a busier night).  Also, I put my shopping list at the bottom of the table, so I can pull it up on my phone at the grocery store (my breakfasts and lunches are in the table too), and looking at the menu plan, it's easy to see how to modify based on sales when I'm shopping. I can also hyperlink to a recipe right in the table if I'm cooking something new. It's really freeing up some mental space for me during the week.

Sunday - Tamales (from freezer) and slaw
Monday - Bean and bacon soup, homemade bread
Tuesday - Salmon, beets, asparagus
Wednesday - Leg of lamb, salad
Thursday - ??  might be out of town
Friday - Salad, lamb/mushroom polenta



kaypinkHH

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #84 on: April 05, 2018, 11:51:52 AM »
I realized in making my own meal plans/mega cooking plans, with a few modifications, I have enough information to share my method WITH THE WORLD (or this thread).

Here is this weeks recipes, ingredient list, and high level meal prep instructions.  Most of this food will end up in the freezer for later dinners/lunches.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15ky4hJH8AYYufcW1_peTPxlmMmRch_jF1kuS7so82WE/edit?usp=sharing

Recipes:
Curry Lentil with Basmati Rice (Vegetarian, Vegan if greek yogurt is not used, GF) - Edit: Was going to use wild rice but that stuff is EXPENSIVE!!
Gnocchi and Tomato Bake (Vegetarian)
Asian Pork and Broccoli With Soba Noodles
Sweet Potato and Veg with Spicy Thai Peanut Suace with Rice (Vegan(if maple syrup is used), GF)
Black Bean Burgers (Vegetarian)
Vegetarian Burritos (Vegetarian, easily made vegan (no cheese))
Breakfast slider sandwiches

*I'm not personally vegetarian/vegan, but I tend to find recipes that fit this criteria....I love me some veg!
« Last Edit: April 06, 2018, 05:14:28 AM by kaypinkHH »

Drole

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #85 on: April 06, 2018, 04:59:14 AM »
I realized in making my own meal plans/mega cooking plans, with a few modifications, I have enough information to share my method WITH THE WORLD (or this thread).

Here is this weeks recipes, ingredient list, and high level meal prep instructions.  Most of this food will end up in the freezer for later dinners/lunches.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/15ky4hJH8AYYufcW1_peTPxlmMmRch_jF1kuS7so82WE/edit?usp=sharing


Thanks for taking it up a notch!  Gotta go up my game.  :)

kaypinkHH

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #86 on: April 06, 2018, 05:14:51 AM »
Haha, I just really really like food.

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #87 on: April 07, 2018, 08:10:40 PM »

Saturday: Chile colorado, Spanish rice, jicama/red cabbage slaw
Sunday:  Meatballs with marinara over spaghetti squash
Moday:  Baked chicken breast, red potatoes, Swiss chard
Tuesday: Tofu miso soup and bok choi
Wednesday: Braised cabbage, brats, carrots, sauerkraut
Thursday:  Salmon, beets, broccoli
Friday:  Either beans and cornbread, or split pea and herb bread

Well Respected Man

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #88 on: April 08, 2018, 06:15:23 PM »
Sat 4/7 - Out
Sun 4/8 - Tofu stir fry - VEGAN
Mon 4/9 - Indian lentil crockpot, salad - VEGAN
Tue 4/10 - Gnocchi with kale, sweet potatoes
Wed 4/11 - Mexican lucky*
Thu 4/12 - California panini - VEGAN
Fri 4/13 - Leftovers
Sat 4/14 - Away
Sun 4/15 - Away

* From intentionally misheard Daft Punk lyrics: https://youtu.be/h5EofwRzit0?t=67. This is a meal that evolved as using up whatever meat, vegetables, cheese, and sour cream we have with Mexican flavor, possibly with tortillas, taco shells, or tortilla chips.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #89 on: April 08, 2018, 08:26:18 PM »
We cook only on weekends, and eat leftovers during the work week. (The power outage yesterday will require some tweaking of our plans).

-Saturday - we were supposed to have peanut chicken bowls, but power was out. So, picked up Costco food court. What a let down!
-Sunday - my husband grilled burgers
-Monday - peanut chicken bowls (loosely based on this recipe - http://inpursuitofmore.com/2013/01/24/recipe-peanut-sauce-noodle-bowl/)
-Tuesday - leftover burgers
-Wednesday - leftover chicken bowls
-Thursday - eat up any remaining leftovers, or spaghetti & meatballs
-Friday - my parents are flying in, so tacos, guac & margaritas
-Saturday - my husband will grill kebabs & make rice
-Sunday - chicken curry

Haven't gotten beyond that

DCKatie09

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #90 on: April 09, 2018, 08:16:49 AM »
My brain and my calendar were thoroughly disconnected this weekend, as I bought a full load of groceries despite the fact that I have 1.5 evenings to actually make dinner this week. So tonight will be pasta with *all the vegetables!*

Question for the crowd - can I crockpot something on Wednesday with cauliflower, potatoes, and sweet potatoes (or some combo thereof)?

kaypinkHH

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #91 on: April 09, 2018, 12:29:54 PM »
@DCKatie09
Slowcooker meal inspirations:

Cauliflower+ Sweet Potatoes- My immediate thought was a curry with either lentils or chickpeas
https://www.cookincanuck.com/slow-cooker-vegetable-curry-recipe-with-sweet-potato-chickpeas/
http://asweetspoonful.com/2018/01/slow-cooker-sweet-potato-lentil-cauliflower-curry.html

If chickpeas and lentils aren't your thing, throw in some chicken thighs, cauliflower, sweet potato and curry flavours for curry/stew type thing. You could even throw some rice or quinoa right into the slowcooker for a one pot meal.

Alternatively a soup:
https://peasandcrayons.com/2015/09/slow-cooker-sweet-potato-and-cauliflower-soup.html


Potatoes should keep until you have time to cook with them, but no reason why you couldn't add them to the curry mixture!

DCKatie09

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #92 on: April 09, 2018, 02:00:31 PM »
@DCKatie09
Slowcooker meal inspirations:

Cauliflower+ Sweet Potatoes- My immediate thought was a curry with either lentils or chickpeas
https://www.cookincanuck.com/slow-cooker-vegetable-curry-recipe-with-sweet-potato-chickpeas/
http://asweetspoonful.com/2018/01/slow-cooker-sweet-potato-lentil-cauliflower-curry.html

If chickpeas and lentils aren't your thing, throw in some chicken thighs, cauliflower, sweet potato and curry flavours for curry/stew type thing. You could even throw some rice or quinoa right into the slowcooker for a one pot meal.

Alternatively a soup:
https://peasandcrayons.com/2015/09/slow-cooker-sweet-potato-and-cauliflower-soup.html


Potatoes should keep until you have time to cook with them, but no reason why you couldn't add them to the curry mixture!
Thanks, kay! The soup actually looks really intriguing. We just did red lentils and sweet potato curry Saturday, so I don't think DH would be super excited to do that again 4 days later, but it's a great idea. :)

Bee21

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #93 on: April 13, 2018, 02:23:03 AM »
Am back from holidays. This week we ate random things i found in the freezer which could be tossed on the grill. I even had a successful fasting day, so yay.

Next week
Monday leftover beef cheeks
Tuesday carbonara for the fam/fasting for me
Wednesday- grilled chicken n salad
Thursday- spanish chickpeas w chorizo n tortillas
friday- pizza
saturday1 steak n salad
Sunday- dunno.Possibly meatloaf based on the contents of the freezer.

I spent 90 dollars at aldi plus need to pick up some bread and milk.

Well Respected Man

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #94 on: April 18, 2018, 06:32:06 AM »
My brain and my calendar were thoroughly disconnected this weekend, as I bought a full load of groceries despite the fact that I have 1.5 evenings to actually make dinner this week. So tonight will be pasta with *all the vegetables!*

Question for the crowd - can I crockpot something on Wednesday with cauliflower, potatoes, and sweet potatoes (or some combo thereof)?

I like the cauliflower and potato curry from this book: https://www.amazon.com/Indian-Slow-Cooker-Healthy-Authentic/ . I guess the dish is called aloo gobi, so you can find a recipe online: http://www.theperfectpantry.com/2013/04/recipe-for-slow-cooker-aloo-gobi-spiced-cauliflower-and-potatoes.html for example. Delicious!

For my meal plan this week, there is no plan. I'll be by myself the rest of the week, and have enough ingredients on hand to figure something out. We had a huge salad/slaw last night, so that will last me a couple of days. DW is thinking about a Jenny Craig-style regimen, with my help, so this plan may get more difficult and detailed soon.

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #95 on: April 18, 2018, 07:16:17 AM »
I am trying to do as low-spend as I can manage for the rest of the month, so I’m eating out of my fridge and pantry which are already a bit limited because of my recent move. I have plenty of ground beef and chicken, so I’m probably just going to pick up a few outlier ingredients for the rest of the month (mayo, sour cream, etc.).

Today: Rotisserie chicken for lunch, some salami and cheese snack. Dinner will be loaded chicken salad.
Tomorrow: Loaded chicken salad lunch. Dinner will be charcuterie.
Friday: Loaded chicken salad lunch. Black bean pasta with chicken and Alfredo for dinner.
Saturday/Sunday: whatever is leftover, likely chicken salad and pasta!

DCKatie09

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #96 on: April 18, 2018, 08:27:25 AM »
My brain and my calendar were thoroughly disconnected this weekend, as I bought a full load of groceries despite the fact that I have 1.5 evenings to actually make dinner this week. So tonight will be pasta with *all the vegetables!*

Question for the crowd - can I crockpot something on Wednesday with cauliflower, potatoes, and sweet potatoes (or some combo thereof)?

I like the cauliflower and potato curry from this book: https://www.amazon.com/Indian-Slow-Cooker-Healthy-Authentic/ . I guess the dish is called aloo gobi, so you can find a recipe online: http://www.theperfectpantry.com/2013/04/recipe-for-slow-cooker-aloo-gobi-spiced-cauliflower-and-potatoes.html for example. Delicious!

For my meal plan this week, there is no plan. I'll be by myself the rest of the week, and have enough ingredients on hand to figure something out. We had a huge salad/slaw last night, so that will last me a couple of days. DW is thinking about a Jenny Craig-style regimen, with my help, so this plan may get more difficult and detailed soon.
Aloo gobi is delicious! I make it with some regularity. We ended up just roasting a big tray of cauliflower, sweet potato, and potato, and had that with a couple chicken sausages (DH got it in the oven while I was commuting home). I appreciate all the ideas!

This week was another only half-planned one:
Sunday: veggie stirfry
Monday: shepherd's pie w/ ground chicken and a ton of veggies
Tuesday: chicken cheesesteak from the freezer/crockpot (not great - pepper strips don't stand up that well to 8 hours of cooking), plus some shredded kale salad
Wednesday: ???? maybe pasta w/ leftover chicken and peppers from last night, plus more salad
Thursday: I'm out for a work thing, leftovers for the husband
Friday: ????
Saturday: game night, other people feed us. :)

Well Respected Man

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #97 on: April 23, 2018, 04:15:12 AM »
Back on a plan, but this week could get thrown off track by work. Only spent $30 on groceries for the week, so it won't be disastrous if we need to fill in.

Sun 4/22 - Roast beef, potatoes, veg
Mon 4/23 - Leftover roast beef
Tue 4/24 - Pad thai - VEGAN
Wed 4/25 - Mexican lucky - VEGAN
Thu 4/26 - Veggie burgers - VEGAN
Fri 4/27 - Out

kaypinkHH

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #98 on: April 24, 2018, 01:52:25 PM »
Haven't had to do mega cooking in a while, eating down our stash and making more evening meals/using up fridge stuff.

Past couple of weeks things we have made:
- Homemade Pizza and Pizza "sandwiches" - leftover pizza stuff on English muffins (great for lunches)
- Meat Pie and Salad
- Homemade Donairs and Salad
- Rotisserie chicken with salad and potato wedges- I was craving take out and got this instead, should have just caved and got take out or made it myself. It was not worth the price :'(.
- Lasagna Soup (so easy and so good!!)

Rest of the week meal plan:
- Thai Spicy Noodles
- Chicago Hot Dog Salad
- Buffalo Chickpea Salad Bowls
- Perogie Pizza


Mega cooking round 5(?) on Saturday I think. Last one probably before Baby HH arrives. Time to stock the freezer with a few less spicy options.
« Last Edit: April 24, 2018, 01:57:09 PM by kaypinkHH »

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Meal planning 2018
« Reply #99 on: April 25, 2018, 07:55:04 AM »
I was out of town over the weekend (my normal cooking time), so this week has been more haphazard than normal:

(We serve salad with every meal)
Sunday - Costco lasagna + garlic bread
Monday - Panko chicken + TJ's samosas
Tuesday - leftover lasagna
Wednesday - I'll cut up the remaining panko chicken, some cabbage lurking in the freezer, and make it into chicken tacos
Thursday - My parents left chicken enchiladas in the freezer, so I'll rescue those
Friday - chicken risotto (I make the cheater oven baked version)

That's as far ahead as I've gotten