menus

So one of the things I enjoy doing most in my stay-at-home life is menu-planning. It's a whole creative venture, because while it's easy to find dishes that are easy to make, easy to find ones that are cheap, easy to find ones that are healthy and VERY easy to find ones that taste good, it's very hard to find ones that possess all four of those qualities. It's also a challenge to find things that use up ingredients we have, that use seasonal produce, that work with our schedule (e.g., "I have time to do lots of chopping on Monday, but on Thursday I'll be with the kids in the park all morning, so it better be easier than that"), and that I have the equiptment to make ("potato ricer? Um, no.").

Also, talking with other friends, I've realized that I'm not the only one who thinks it's fun to see what everyone else is having for dinner. So I thought I'd post our current two-week menu. (I go shopping every two weeks, 'cause it's easier and I spend less money (few impulse buys if you're in the store less often), so another of my challenges is finding meals for the second week that use produce that doesn't spoil quickly.)

MENU:

Sun: basil and garlic pizza on a TJ pizza crust ($1 pizza crust at Trader Joe's - woo-hoo!)
Mon: falafel and tziki and pita and cucumber and tomato sandwiches (falafel from a mix is super-easy)
Tues: freezer meal (every week I double and freeze one of our meals, so I can just defrost something quickly on karate nights) & fruit
Weds: Linguine with Black Bean Pesto Sauce (new VegTimes recipe) and fruit
Thurs: Sausage, Apple and Cheddar Bread Pudding (another new recipe - sounded very autumnal) & fruit
Fri: dinner at folks'
Sat: Pod Party - possibly making Sesame Lace Cookies

Sun: picnic at the Arboretum after church - crackers and hummus
Mon: terriyaki fish and rice and broccali (frozen)
Tues: freezer meal and canned fruit (I get the giant cans at Sam's Club - you get 6 lbs. for $3.50, & it'll do a side for about 3 different meals!)
Wed: Roasted Butternut Squash, Rosemary and Garlic Lasagna (I've been waiting to make this recipe all summer, it's finally cool enough that it sounds good!) and canned fruit
Thurs: Split Pea Soup (extra to freeze) and corn bread and canned fruit
Fri: dinner at folks'
Sat: more toppings-as-we-please TJ pizza - extra for tomorrow's post-church picnic



So, yeah, that's it. As you can see, I like trying new recipes, but only a couple a week, 'cause it'd be exhausting to try something new every night. And I'm big on easy sides (fruit!). And if you think we're missing some vegetables, well, we eat lots of veggies at lunch every day. Big green salads the first week after shopping, and big servings of heated-up frozen veggies the second week (we microwave them, and then sprinkle them with a little olive oil and a lot of lemon-pepper. Mmm!) So we're getting all our healthy stuff, I think.

This is really one of the most fun things I get to do in my job. It's very creative, and very satisfying. It has all the fun of working out a brain-teaser, and all the satisfaction that seeing your family well-fed should bring. Especially because I have a very appreciative husband who loves my cooking, and who works hard so that we can afford to buy food. Thanks, Adam! :)


Okay, now I'm hungry. What are you making for dinner, oh my blogging friends? I need ideasfor the next menu. :)


-Jess