MENU MONDAY - 8/28/17

Things didn't go as planned a few times last week, so some recipes are making a reappearance this week.

COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)

BREAKFAST
* egg & veggie scramble x2
* breakfast burritos (freezer) / smoothies
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x3

DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* Asian orzo chicken salad / cucumber slices
* hodge-podge salad with lettuce, boiled eggs, veggies, and tahini lemon dressing / toast
* sweet & sour meatballs / brown rice / simple roasted broccoli
* new recipe / roasted radishes
* simple roasted pork tenderloin / brown rice / roasted patty pan squash
* crockpot beans / brown rice

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* oat & almond bars
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)

Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.

** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. ** 

MENU MONDAY - 8/21/17

I actually had two different dinners on the menu, but we had to make some last minute changes when we realized the guys had taken our can opener camping with them. Maybe the ditched recipes will get made next week. We'll see.

COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* pesto (from a friend's excess basil harvest)
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)

BREAKFAST
* egg & veggie scramble x2
* toasted coconut & pineapple granola
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x3

DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* Jen's chicken (crockpot) / brown rice / firecracker cauliflower
* hodge-podge salad with lettuce, boiled eggs, and veggies / toast
* venison meatloaf / roasted broccoli / garlic kale mashed potatoes
* rice, kale, & eggs
* crockpot beans / brown rice
* whole wheat apple pancakes / hard-boiled eggs / smoothies

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* oat & almond bars
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)

Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.

** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. ** 

MENU MONDAY - 8/14/17

We recently ended up with some unexpected crab that Tim brought home from a fishing trip, so in addition to the crab listed twice in the menu, we also tried crab cakes for lunch one day. I forgot to take pictures and didn't have time to type up the recipe, but here's where I got it.

I didn't post a menu last week because of being out of town without internet for a few days and choosing to limit my time online other days, so here's a two week menu that shows our last and current menus.

COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* stem, chop kale (freezer)
* breakfast burritos (freezer) 
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)

BREAKFAST
* egg & veggie scramble x3
* boxed cereal
* breakfast burritos
* whole wheat drop biscuits with strawberries
* doughnuts at church x2
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x6

DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking) x2
* quinoa salad with apples & almonds (took to church camping potluck)
* rice, kale, & eggs
* roasted mushrooms with garlic, thyme, & balsamic vinegar / zucchini ribbon, quinoa, & pesto salad
* church camping trip bbq
* honey lime chicken enchiladas / cheddar Ruffles / watermelon (birthday dinner for Naomi)
* Papa Murphy's with Dad
* sesame honey chicken (crockpot) / brown rice / frozen corn
* bbq with friends
* buffalo slaw / brown rice
* caesar salad with crab
* baked chicken teriyaki / brown rice / bok choy with garlic & ginger
* pasta with marinara (freezer) and meatballs (freezer) / hodge-podge salad with tahini lemon dressing

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* store-bought cookies (potluck)
* moose munch
* brownies
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)

Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.

** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. ** 

MENU MONDAY - 7/31/17

Well, we've used up all the remaining dairy in our house. Poor us. In other news, we ended up roasting double the amount of veggies for roasted veggie salad with avocado dressing last week, then using the extra half in an egg and veggie scramble a few days later. So tasty!

COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)

BREAKFAST
* egg & veggie scramble x2
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x4

DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* lentils & rice / tomato slices
* fish (freezer, Tim's catch) / firecracker cauliflower
* rice, kale, & eggs
* hodge-podge salad
* sesame honey chicken (crockpot) / frozen corn
* pasta with marinara (freezer) and meatballs (freezer) / Leslie's salad

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* store-bought cookies
* fruits and vegetables
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)

Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.

** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. ** 

MENU MONDAY - 7/24/17

We made an unplanned batch of poppyseed & banana muffins last week and plan on throwing a bunch of roasted mushrooms with garlic, thyme, & balsamic vinegar in the mix this week, but probably for lunch.

COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* freeze vegan cream of broccoli soup
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)

BREAKFAST
* maple pecan granola
* egg & veggie scramble
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x4

DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* vegan cream of broccoli soup (double and freeze half) / creamy kale salad
* cold sesame noodles / firecracker cauliflower
* buffalo slaw / brown rice
* roasted veggie salad with avocado dressing / parmesan herb drop biscuits
* chicken veggie stir-fry / brown rice
* Dutch babies / smoothies

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* lemon cookies
* fruits and vegetables
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)

Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.

** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. ** 

MENU MONDAY - 7/17/17

We had so many changes on the last menu! We ditched the coconut cranberry chews for dessert because I forgot to buy oranges to zest (pulled buttermilk cinnamon bread from the freezer instead), didn't make pumpkin pancakes because I'd forgotten that I needed to buy dairy-free milk, and skipped both Sunday leftovers and mandarin chicken pizza because Tim came home from a fishing trip with crab for one night and some other kind of fish for another. Hopefully we'll get back on track with an accurate menu this week!

COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* broth from zesty crockpot chicken carcass (freezer)
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)

BREAKFAST
* pumpkin pancakes
* egg & veggie scramble
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x4

DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* steak salad
* Holden veggies with avocado dressing / crockpot beans (freezer) / couscous
* broiled fish / garlic ginger green beans
* kale & feta casserole / brown rice
* Cuban black beans & coconut rice / tomato slices
* multi-colored bell pepper slices / mandarin chicken pizza

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* popsicles (finishing off the stash of dairy products)
* fruits and vegetables
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)

Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.

** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. ** 

MENU MONDAY - 7/10/17

We're using up the last of the dairy in our home before cutting it out of our menus. None of us are happy about the change, but there are a variety of symptoms in multiple family members that are tied directly to dairy. At this point it would be irresponsible to keep consuming it. Our approach for now will be "don't choose, don't refuse". That means we won't be buying dairy (except for rare indulgences) to eat at home, but we won't turn it down when it's served elsewhere. We'll see how it goes!

NEW RECIPES FROM LAST WEEK
* garlic lime chicken - This recipe was mentioned in a Facebook conversation, so we gave it a try. Can't go wrong with lime!

COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* two loaves of buttermilk cinnamon bread (freezer)
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)

BREAKFAST
* pumpkin pancakes
* egg & veggie scramble
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x4

DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* crockpot beans / brown rice/ tomatoes
* employee (& their family) barbecue
* zesty chicken salad (this got skipped last week in favor of boxed cereal, a very rare purchase, at the end of a full day)
* venison (Silas is doing something with it, not sure what) / roasted broccoli
* black & red bean soup (beans from the freezer) / cornbread
* multi-colored bell pepper slices / mandarin chicken pizza

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* coconut cranberry chews
* fruits and vegetables
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)

Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.

** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. ** 

MENU MONDAY - 7/3/17

We didn't try any new recipes last week, but there's one on this menu that I'll share next week if we like it. My kitchen goal for this week is to start planning and prepping food for a camping trip we're taking next month. 

COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* double marinara and freeze half
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)

BREAKFAST
* pumpkin quinoa bowl
* egg & veggie scramble
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x4

DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* cumin lime black bean quinoa salad / corn on the cob
* new recipe / roasted broccoli
* zesty chicken salad
* creamed eggs & toast / smoothies
* black bean & rice burritos with avocado dressing/ frozen veggies
* buffalo slaw / brown rice

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* fruits and vegetables
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)
* M&M blondies (except we're using up some leftover white chocolate chips instead of M&Ms)

Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.

** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. ** 

MENU MONDAY - 6/26/17

Which things am I most looking forward to on this menu? Probably roasted broccoli, cumin lime sweet potato sticks, and meatballs. And the barbecue, of course.

NEW RECIPES FROM LAST WEEK
* alphabet soup with meatballs - This recipe from Dinner at the Zoo includes its own meatball recipe, but we used meatballs we already had in our freezer instead.

COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* freeze several bananas for smoothies
* cook and freeze 2 lb. ground sausage
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)

BREAKFAST
* wheat germ whole wheat buttermilk pancakes
* egg & veggie scramble
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x4

DINNER
* church barbecue
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking, but bumping to another night because of the barbecue)
* pasta with meatballs (freezer) and marinara / roasted broccoli / Leslie's salad
* cottage cheese with applesauce / cream cheese & chili dip / tortilla chips / e-z drop biscuits (birthday dinner for Silas)
* beans (crockpot) / brown rice
* creamy chicken & rice casserole  / best bean salad
* quinoa & black beans / cumin lime sweet potato sticks

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* fruits and vegetables
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)
* pumpkin bread (freezer)
* dump cake 

Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.

** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. ** 

MENU MONDAY - 6/19/17

We finally finished up the last two recipes we wanted to try from Budget Bytes: Over 100 Easy, Delicious Recipes to Slash Your Grocery Bill in Half. It took a while, but we liked all the ones we made.

NEW RECIPES FROM LAST WEEK
* cumin lime sweet potato sticks - These aren't crispy like fries, but they're delicious. This is the fifth recipe we've enjoyed from Budget Bytes.
* parmesan herb drop biscuits - This is the sixth and final recipe we've tried from Budget Bytes. Devon made them to go with some quinoa broccoli soup and they were delicious.

COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)
* freeze 40 lb. of Zaycon chicken breasts (skipped marinades this time and just froze them in 3 lb. increments)
* freeze 30 lb. of Rotary strawberries

BREAKFAST
* nutty granola (skipping pecans and using extra of other nuts/seeds)
* egg & veggie scramble
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x4

DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* kale & feta casserole / tomato slices
* new recipe / apple dijon kale salad
*  corn & bean salad / honey lime chicken enchiladas
*  pumpkin soup with kale sesame topping / apple & cranberry green salad
* Jen's chicken (crockpot, from the freezer) / brown rice / roasted radishes
* lentils & rice

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* fruits and vegetables
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)
* popsicles (these got skipped last week in favor of leftover birthday cheesecake)

Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.

** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. ** 

MENU MONDAY - 6/12/17

We'll be having Mexican layer salad again this week, but experimenting with it a little. Other than that salad, which I like, the things I'm most looking forward to on this menu are mac & cheese, roasted mushrooms, quinoa broccoli soup, and Cajun sausage & beans.

NEW RECIPES FROM LAST WEEK
* cumin, lime, & chickpea salad - Yet another recipe from Budget Bytes: Over 100 Easy, Delicious Recipes to Slash Your Grocery Bill in Half that we've liked.

COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)

BREAKFAST
* pumpkin bread (from the freezer) / smoothies
* egg & veggie scramble
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x4

DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* rice cooker mac & cheese / sausage links / dried pineapple (birthday dinner for Devon)
* Cajun sausage & beans / brown rice / cucumber & tomato slices (got skipped last week)
* wedding food
* Korean beef & rice / roasted mushrooms with garlic, thyme, & balsamic vinegar
* new recipe / Mexican layer salad
* scallion pancakes with soy ginger dipping sauce / firecracker cauliflower

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* fruits and vegetables
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)
* popsicles

Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.

** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. ** 

MENU MONDAY - 6/5/17

We have roasted radishes on the menu this week because everyone loves them. They get scarfed in about 30 seconds, so I bought four bunches last time ... and 12 bunches this time!

NEW RECIPES FROM LAST WEEK
* no new recipes last week

COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* kidney beans in the crockpot for the freezer
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)

BREAKFAST
* toasted coconut & pineapple granola as cold cereal / smoothies
* egg & veggie scramble
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x4

DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* Cajun sausage & beans / brown rice / cucumber & tomato slices
* pumpkin pancakes / applesauce
* Johnny Marzzetti with venison (base from the freezer) / roasted broccoli / apple & cranberry green salad
* Mexican baked eggs with black beans, tomatoes, & chiles / rice (this got skipped last week)
* new recipe / roasted radishes / Mexican layer salad
* pizza - one sausage & olive, one veggie

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* fruits and vegetables
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)
* sesame cookies

Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.

** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. ** 

MENU MONDAY - 5/29/17

My next and final goal, now that I've gotten back in the swing of delegating a lot of cooking responsibilities and have started to do more advanced cooking again, is to dredge up old recipes we haven't made in a long time. My goal is one per week, but I'm not going to lose sleep if I don't get it done. This week, though, I'm making a bean salad that's similar to what you get at a deli. We haven't had it in years!

We made a spontaneous batch of rosemary white bean dip for lunch one day last week with rosemary from the back yard and dried beans I'd previously cooked in the crockpot and frozen. I don't make a lunch menu, but that's a good recipe worth sharing.

NEW RECIPES FROM LAST WEEK
* no new recipes last week

COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* garbanzos in the crockpot for the freezer
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)

BREAKFAST
* sweet green muffins
* egg & veggie scramble
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x4

DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* death by garlic with sausage / balsamic roasted brussels sprouts
* creamed eggs & toast / smoothies
* mandarin chicken pizza
* Mexican baked eggs with black beans, tomatoes, & chiles / rice
* meatballs & marinara (both from the freezer) over brown rice / best bean salad
* lentils & rice over lettuce

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* fruits and vegetables
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)
* lemon brownies

Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.

** This post contains affiliate links and we're grateful when people use them. ** 

MENU MONDAY - 5/22/17

We had a produce switch with our burgers last week, ditching pea pods and grapes for a hodge-podge salad with tahini lemon dressing. I love that dressing!

Now that I've gotten back in the habit of delegating more cooking responsibilities, I'm going to get back in the habit of doing more advance cooking and prep. I used to be really good about it, but have slacked off. It's simple to do and worth the little bit of extra effort on the front end, so that's what I'm working on next.

NEW RECIPES FROM LAST WEEK
* lemon lentil soup - We now have five different soup recipes using red lentils, but they're each a little different than the others.

COOKING IN ADVANCE (These are often spontaneous projects, so they'll include things we did at the last minute the previous week and/or plan on doing in the upcoming one.)
* meatballs - We'll mix six pounds of ground venison with six of 93/7 ground beef to make a triple batch of meatballs for the freezer.
* pumpkin bread (double batch, freeze some)
* peanut butter
* seasoned mix of black & pinto beans (crockpot, freezer)

BREAKFAST
* smoothies / pumpkin bread  
* egg & veggie scramble
* doughnuts at church
* oatmeal with a rotation of the following toppings - brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, homemade peanut butter, maple almond butter, raisins, dried cranberries, fresh or frozen fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and/or energy mix x4

DINNER
* leftovers (every Sunday so that we can have a day off from cooking)
* zesty chicken (crockpot) / brown rice / strawberry & pear green salad
* everyone out and about eating different things
* crockpot beans / rice / tomato slices
* grilled chicken caesar salad / focaccia
* Dutch babies / smoothie popsicles
* sweet & sour meatballs / brown rice / frozen corn

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* fruits and vegetables
* peanuts and dry roasted almonds
* popcorn with nutritional yeast, regular salt, or seasoned salt (kernels from the WinCo bulk department that get popped in my Lodge Dutch oven, but you can see my thoughts on both the wonderful Dutch oven and the fantastic West Bend Stir Crazy in this post.)
* pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Notes: Any chicken breasts, 93/7 ground beef, applewood smoked ham, or pork tenderloins in our menus are from Zaycon Fresh. We've been making bulk purchases from them for few years and have been pleased with their products.

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