Menu Plan Monday

 

Laura over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.com is the originator of Menu Plan Monday, and many's the time I've been thankful for her splendid idea of posting a week's worth of menu plans here at InsomniMom. Not, you understand, because I think my vast readership (*ahem*) is sitting and wringing their hands in anxiety, wondering what I'm going to serve for dinner on Thursday, but more because posting the menu plans keeps me on the straight and narrow, budget-wise. When I post my menu plans, I tend to make a shopping list. When I make a shopping list - and bring it with me -  I tend to spend less money. And when I spend less money, my husband is very, very happy and doesn't get that little worried crease between his eyebrows.

So here goes!

Menu Plan for the Week of September 27, 2010

Monday - Pot roast, potatoes, carrots and onions in the slow-cooker, homemade 2-egg brioche

Tuesday - Baked pork chops and cabbage, pea and carrot medley (I love to call mixed vegetables a "medley." That's just what James Whitcomb Riley Elementary School used to call mixed veggies on their school cafeteria menu and that always brings back a wave of nostalgic happiness. Not that I ever ate them. Because, ick.)

Wednesday - Breakfast for Dinner! Scrambled eggs with sausage and oven-baked potato puffs. My husband requested biscuits along with this meal, but I vetoed that idea.

Thursday - Simple/Cheap! Corn dogs and potato puffs. Maybe some green beans.

Friday - Taketh me to a restaurant, if thou cravest thy lady's favor, my lord! (I'm reading a book about the Middle Ages and it seems to be working itself out in my speech.) Edited on Saturday to add: No money for a restaurant experience this week, not even Arby's. Have I mentioned how much I hate this recession? So we were back to Seafood/Meatless. I made bean and cheese tostadas and corn casserole and it was pretty darned good, even if no one served it to me with a margarita.

Saturday - Spaghetti Night! Spaghetti with meat sauce and garlicky-buttery breadsticks. The sauce is left over from two weeks ago - I froze a little less than half of it in a gallon-sized freezer bag, laid it flat on a baking sheet until frozen, marked with the date I put it in the freezer. To serve, I'll defrost it in the microwave, add a couple of cans of tomato sauce and some extra mushrooms, maybe a beef bouillon cube. Then all I have to do is heat it up, cook the pasta, bake the breadsticks and serve. (We really like the Pillsbury bread sticks that come in a tube - they're so easy and actually very delcious.)

Sunday - A roasted chicken, Julia Child-style, served with mashed potatoes, glazed baby carrots and mini croissant rolls.