Make- Ahead Meals, Vegetarian Style

It’s no secret that I, along with my 10-year-old daughter, am a vegetarian. The rest of the family is not, BUT, with the rising cost of meat, they have had to adapt to a vegetarian lifestyle out of necessity.

In the name of simplicity, I decided to search for some good VEGETARIAN make-ahead (and/or freezer compatible) meals last week. Most were proclaimed “keepers”. Only two were nixed. In planning this week’s menu, I intend to incorporate last week’s favorites again:

 

The “Keepers” –

Make-Ahead Breakfasts:

• Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Burritos **
• California Cheese Strata (prepare night before)
• Bran Apple Muffins*
• Pumpkin Nut Bread (prepare night before)

Make-Ahead Suppers:

• Bean Tortilla Wrap
• Vegetarian Chili* & Mexican Corn Bread (1 hr. prep)
• Veggie Jambalaya* & Cornbread, & Cajun Pineapple Salad (15 min. prep)
• Vegetarian Lasagna* & Lemony Caesar Salad (20 min? prep)
• Veggie Pecan Burgers* & Carrot Raisin Salad (prepare night before)

 

The “Guinea Pigs” — New Recipes to Try this Week

Make-Ahead Breakfasts:

• Morning Cookies *
• Orange Breakfast Granola *
• Frozen Fruit Cups *

Suppers:

• Split Pea Soup & Sweet Potato Bread
• Fusilli Pasta w/Artichokes & Peppers & Rosemary Bread

* can be made ahead and frozen
** can be made ahead and refrigerated

To see more weekly menus throughout the blogosphere,
be sure to visit Organized Junkie’s Menu Plan Monday Meme

St. Patrick’s Day Meal

 

How do homeschoolers celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? With FOOD!

You need not be Irish (we aren’t) to celebrate with this St. Patrick’s Day menu (vegetarian, of course).

For a taste of Ireland:

• Irish Potato Soup
• Irish Soda Bread

and to add a touch of green to the table:

• St. Patrick’s Day milkshakes
• St. Patrick’s Day Salad

Irish Potato Soup

• 6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced peeled onion
• 1 1/2 cups canned evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Place potatoes in a stockpot with enough water to cover. Boil until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add celery and onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes. Stir in evaporated milk, butter, salt and pepper. Heat until just below boiling. Serve immediately.

Makes 5 servings.

Irish Soda Bread

• 4 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• 2 cups buttermilk or sour milk

Sieve the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Scoop up handfuls and allow to drop back into the bowl to aerate the mixture. Add enough buttermilk to make a soft dough. Now work quickly as the buttermilk and soda are already reacting. Knead the dough lightly – too much handling will toughen it, while too little means it won’t rise properly.

Form a round loaf about as thick as your fist. Place it on a lightly-floured baking sheet and cut a cross in the top with a floured knife. Put at once to bake near the top of a pre-heated oven, gas mark 8, 450°F, 230°C, for 30-45 minutes. When baked, the loaf will sound hollow when rapped on the bottom with your knuckles. Wrap immediately in a clean tea-towel to stop the crust hardening too much.

Wheaten bread or brown soda is made in exactly the same way but with wholemeal flour replacing all or some of the white flour; this mixture will probably require less buttermilk.

St. Patrick’s Day Milkshakes

• 1-2 cups of vanilla ice cream
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups of milk
• 1/2 cup of ice Green food coloring
• 2-3 drops as you prefer
• Peppermint extract- to taste

 

1. In a blender add vanilla ice cream, milk, food coloring and ice cubes.
2. Blend until smooth. If you are adding the extract add now, blend very briefly, taste to see if you need to add more or not.

St. Patrick’s Day Salad

• 1 small lime Jell-o
• 1/2 c. diced pineapple
• nuts, if desired
• 1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1/2 pt. whipping cream

Make Jell-o. When partially cooled, add pineapple and nuts. When set, mix and add softened cream cheese and mayonnaise. Whip and fold into Jell-o mixture. Mold in Pyrex dish and cut into squares to serve. Serves 8.

Kids’ Eats – May 22-28

I used the freezer inventory list to come up with some kid-pleasing supper ideas for this week.

Tuesday – Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken, rice
Wednesday – White Chicken Enchilada Slow-Cooker Casserole, tortilla chips
Thursday – Sausage Hash Brown Bake
Friday – Pizza Burgers
Saturday – Tuna Melts, green beans
Sunday – Baked Fake Steak with Gravy, noodles
Monday – Tomato Mozzarella Bake, green beans

Menu for Two: May 22-28

This is the menu for this week for the two of us (Rob and myself) who are continuing on a lower-carb, vegetarian/pseudo-vegetarian/pescetarian eating plan.

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THE WEEKLY MENU

Tuesday

Breakfast:
Green Tea
Jalapeno Pie

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Healthy May Menu

In honor of the May Day Weight Loss Challenge, which starts this Tuesday, I am posting my menu a day early. For those who haven’t been following my weight loss journey over the last year, my diet currently consists of mostly low/”good” carb foods and high protein/ high fat mostly vegetarian foods (for those of you trying the “low fat” approach, I have had much more success limiting carbs and eating GOOD fats [avocado, flaxseed oil, coconut oil, etc.])

I moved my weight loss journey and all of the weight loss challenge information to a new page — The Incredible Shrinking Woman! Check in and see a very frightening “before” photo of me! It was the photo that started it all! We had gone to the local aquarium and Rob managed to get a couple of shots of me watching the children playing. I found them when I went to load my photos onto the computer. I was appalled! I knew I was overweight, but until I saw that photo, I had no idea what other people saw when they looked at me. I didn’t see *her* when I looked in the mirror! I knew *she* needed to go away!

Thus began my journey to better health, beginning with a 13 day detoxifying health “fast” from the Whole Food Farmacy. (I was so impressed with those products that I started telling everyone who would listen about them!)

For those of you who are just beginning to embark on this journey to better health and a slimmer waist line, let me encourage you — if *I* can do it, anyone can do it! I have been on this journey for almost 1 year now and have lost over 50 lbs and over 48 inches! I haven’t “arrived” yet, but I can see the finish line. I’m ALMOST there!

And now, on to the menu! My goal is to stay in the 1200 calorie range and the 30 net carbohydrate gram range. The reason I am varying the calorie level so much from day to day is explained in this entry.

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THE WEEKLY MENU
(more…)

Meal Plan Monday – “The Wendie Plan”: Low-carb Style

I have heard before of “The Wendie Plan“, and over the weekend it was brought up again on a message board I frequent. Basically, based on Weight Watchers, the “Wendie Plan” addresses the issue of weight loss stalling by “tricking” your body to not get into a pattern. This occurs by varying the number of calories so that some days you have many more than you should, other days having many less, and still other days having just the right amount — but in doing such, still keeping with the number of calories per week in the “what you should have” range. I don’t know if this method has the means of working successfully on a low-carb plan, but I’m going to give it a shot this week, as my weight loss, for the most part, has stalled again.

The menu I came up with ends up giving me about 9800 calories this week (or about 1400 per day), and 170.5 net carbohydrate grams per week (or about 24 per day). We shall see if it works!

*Disclaimer – I personally do not advocate the use of low-carb diets or artificial sweeteners for an extended period of time. I am strictly going the low-carb route temporarily to burn fat quickly. I will then go back to my typically healthy vegetarian/no chemical diet to maintain my weight.

This menu is only for me; not the children, and the numbers after the meals = calories/net carbohydrate grams.

Tuesday

Breakfast:
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup) & flaxseed oil (1 T.)
Bacon – 2 pieces
Green Tea, plain
(279/4)

Zipfizz
(10/2)

Snack:
10 olives
(41/.5)

Lunch:
Romaine hearts (2 cups) w/ 2 T. shredded Parmesan and 1 piece of bacon
Dressing
Green Tea, plain
(226/1.5)

Snack:
¼ cup almonds
(206/3)

Supper:
Romaine hearts (2 cups) w/ 2 T. shredded Parmesan and 1 piece of bacon
Dressing
Green Tea, plain
(226/1.5)

Snack:
Sugar-free Jell-O
(7/0)

Total:
995/12.5

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Wednesday

Breakfast:
Mediterranean Egg Bake
Green Tea, plain
(190/5)

Zipfizz
(10/2)

Snack:
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup) & flaxseed oil (1 T.)
(221/4)

Lunch:
Romaine hearts (2 cups) w/ 2 T. shredded Parmesan and 1 piece of bacon
Dressing
Green Tea, plain
(226/1.5)

Snack:
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup) & flaxseed oil (1 T.)
(221/4)

Supper:
“Aimee’s Quick Chicken” – allrecipes
Sugar-free Jell-O
Green Tea, plain
1 cup romaine hearts, 1 T. dressing
(345/7)

Snack:
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup) & flaxseed oil (1 T.)
(221/4)

Total:
1434/27.5

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Thursday

Breakfast:
Mediterranean Egg Bake leftovers
Green Tea, plain
(190/5)

Zipfizz
(10/2)

Snack:
10 olives
(41/.5)

Lunch:
Romaine hearts (2 cups) w/ 2 T. shredded Parmesan and 1 piece of bacon
Leftover piece of “quick chicken”
Dressing
Green Tea, plain
(486/7.5)

Snack:
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup) & flaxseed oil (1 T.)
(221/4)

Supper:
Romaine hearts (2 cups) w/ 2 T. shredded Parmesan and 1 piece of bacon
Dressing
Green Tea, plain
(226/1.5)

Snack:
Sugar-free Jell-O
(7/0)

Total:
1181/20.5

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Friday

Breakfast:
Green Tea, plain
Goatein chocolate shake w/coconut oil, cream, & raw egg
(607/9)

Zipfizz
(10/2)

Snack:
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup) & flaxseed oil (1 T.)
(221/4)

Lunch:
Romaine hearts (2 cups) w/ 2 T. shredded Parmesan and 1 piece of bacon
Dressing
Green Tea, plain
(226/1.5)

Snack:
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup) & flaxseed oil (1 T.)
Sugar-free Jell-O
(228/4)

Supper:
Green Tea, plain
“Anniversary Chicken I” (allrecipes)
“Health Nut Oatmeal Cookies” – 2 (allrecipes)
(722/25)

Snack:
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup) & flaxseed oil (1 T.)
(221/4)

Total:
2235/49.5

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Saturday

Breakfast:
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup) & flaxseed oil (1 T.)
Bacon – 2 pieces
Green Tea, plain
(279/4)

Zipfizz
(10/2)

Snack:
10 olives
(41/.5)

Lunch:
Romaine hearts (2 cups) w/ 2 T. shredded Parmesan and 1 piece of bacon
Dressing
Green Tea, plain
(226/1.5)

Snack:
¼ cup almonds
(206/3)

Supper:
Romaine hearts (2 cups) w/ 2 T. shredded Parmesan and 1 piece of bacon
Dressing
Green Tea, plain
(226/1.5)

Snack:
Sugar-free Jell-O
(7/0)

Total:
995/12.5

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Sunday

Breakfast:
Mediterranean Egg Bake leftovers
Green Tea, plain
(190/5)

Zipfizz
(10/2)

Snack:
10 olives
(41/.5)

Lunch:
Romaine hearts (2 cups) w/ 2 T. shredded Parmesan and 1 piece of bacon
Dressing
Green Tea, plain
(226/1.5)

Snack:
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup) & flaxseed oil (1 T.)
Sugar-free Jell-O
(228/4)

Supper:
“Anniversary Chicken I” leftovers
1 cup romaine hearts, 1 T. dressing
Green Tea, plain
(528/7)

Snack:
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup) & flaxseed oil (1 T.)
(221/4)

Total:
1522/25

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Monday

Breakfast:
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup) & flaxseed oil (1 T.)
Bacon – 2 pieces
Green Tea, plain
(279/4)

Zipfizz
(10/2)

Snack:
10 olives
(41/.5)

Lunch:
“Anniversary Chicken I” leftovers
1 cup romaine hearts, 1 T. dressing
Green Tea, plain
(528/7)

Snack:
Cottage cheese (1/2 cup) & flaxseed oil (1 T.)
(221/4)

Supper:
Broiled Tilapia Parmesan (allrecipes)
“Green Beans for a Special Occasion” (allrecipes)
(345/5.5)

Snack:
Sugar-free Jell-O
(7/0)

Total:
1431/23

Meal Plan Monday – Make-Ahead Breakfasts & Lunches

Make-aheads are great! They ease kitchen messes/clean-up and are just *easy*. My plans include both make-ahead breakfasts and lunches — convenient for sending away with the “school” kids, and for feeding a bunch of hungry toddlers here at home. Most of these recipes came from various “once-a-month cooking” or “freezer cooking” sites on the internet.

The Menu:

MONDAY

Breakfast:
French Toast

Lunch:
Ham & Cheese Sandwich
Chips
½ an apple
Sugar Cookies

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TUESDAY

Breakfast:
Bran Apple Muffins

Lunch:
Pizza Bagels
Pretzels
Frozen Fruit

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WEDNESDAY

Breakfast:
Bacon Hash-Brown Roll-ups

Lunch:
Pasta Salad
Cheese stick
Oatmeal Cookies

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THURSDAY

Breakfast:
Make-ahead Scrambled Eggs

Lunch:
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches
Trail Mix
Banana

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FRIDAY

Breakfast:
On-The-Run Sausage Muffins

Lunch:
Taco Roll-Up
Salsa, Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips
Brownie

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The Recipes:

Ham & Cheese Sandwiches Freezer Cooking Recipe

A ham and cheese sandwich can be frozen. Placed in a lunch box in the morning, it will be perfectly thawed by lunchtime.

Loaf of bread
Miracle Whip
Ham (any style)
Sliced cheese

Spread Miracle Whip on bread (VERY IMPORTANT – do not use regular mayonnaise, only use Miracle Whip). Add ham and cheese, seal in individual freezer bags or vacuum seal. Freeze.

On lunch day, take it out of the freezer in the morning and it will be thawed in time for lunch.

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Pizza Bagels Freezer Cooking Recipe

12 bagels – plain or sundried tomato
Pizza sauce
Assorted pizza toppings
Mozzarella cheese

Cut bagels in half and place them face up on workspace. Spread tomato sauce in a thin layer, then add toppings. By making a variety of toppings, they won’t get boring in lunches. Sprinkle with cheese then broil in oven until cheese melts.

Cool completely and package them individually (half a bagel per bag). Freeze.

Can be put into school lunches frozen, and they will thaw by lunchtime.

These are also great for after-school snacks. You can also switch to whole wheat bagels to make them healthier.

Younger kids love helping to make these, so they can add their own toppings.

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Bran Apple Muffins Freezer Cooking Recipe

1 cup bran cereal
1 cup untoasted wheat germ
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 large eggs
12 oz frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup salad oil
muffin tins, either with paper lined cups or greased

In a large mixing bowl, combine cereal, wheat germ, flour, milk, baking powder, raisins and walnuts. In a smaller bowl, combine eggs, apple juice concentrate and oil, beating well. Then add this mixture to dry ingredients, mixing well. Allow to stand 5-10 minutes so dry goods can absorb wet.

Preheat oven to 375F. Spoon mixture into muffin tins, filling to rim. Bake for 30 minutes or until a dark golden brown. Cool and freeze, then transfer to large freezer bag.

To serve, allow to thaw before serving.

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Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Freezer Cooking Recipe

1-1/2 cups dry vegetable rotini
1 cup Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 red pepper chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 yellow pepper chopped

Cook rotini until barely cooked al dente (VERY IMPORTANT, do not overcook)

Freeze in single portion servings in freezer bags or containers. Great for lunches! Put into the lunch box frozen, and it will be thawed for lunchtime.
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Bacon Hash Brown Roll-ups

These delicious roll ups are stored in your freezer, then reheated in the microwave when you want to eat them. Perfect make ahead recipe for breakfasts on the go!

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
6 slices Canadian bacon, cut into small pieces
2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed and drained
8 eggs
1/2 cup salsa
16 (6″) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese

PREPARATION:
In large skillet, heat olive oil and brown bacon and hash browns. In large mixing bowl, combine eggs and salsa; beat well until combined. Pour into skillet with bacon and potatoes and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until eggs are set.
Spoon egg mixture into flour tortillas, sprinkle with cheese, and roll up. Place roll-ups in freezer bags and freeze.

When ready to serve, place burrito in microwave, covered with a microwave-safe paper towel, and heat for about 1-2 minutes on high power for each burrito. You may have to adjust heating time for your microwave. 16 servings
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Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Quaker® Unprocessed Bran
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
2-1/2 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1-1/3 cups diced dried mixed fruit or raisins (omit)

Preparation Steps:

1. Heat oven to 375° F.
2. Beat brown sugar, margarine and granulated sugar with electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, bran, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add to margarine-sugar mixture; mix well. Stir in oats and dried fruit; mix well.
4. Drop by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 9 to 10 minutes, until light golden brown. (Centers will be soft.) Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets, remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Recipe Yield: About 4 dozen
Serving Size: 1 cookie

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Freezing Peanut Butter & Jam Sandwiches Recipe

Simply toss a frozen sandwich into the lunch box in the morning and it will be perfectly thawed by lunchtime.

Make a few dozen sandwiches:

Two or three loaves of bread
Peanut Butter
Jam

Think variety – different types of bread (ie. raisin bread one day, whole wheat bread the next) as well as different types of jam (try blueberry or orange marmalade rather than just the standard strawberry) to keep things from getting boring.

Cover one side of each slice with peanut butter, being sure to go to the edges. Then put jam on half of the slices, leaving about half an inch from the edge on all sides. Put the sandwiches together, and the peanut butter will “seal” the jam inside and keep them from getting soggy as it thaws. Seal in freezer bags or use a vacuum sealer.

On lunch day, simply put a frozen sandwich (straight from the freezer, no need to thaw before hand) when you make lunches in the morning, and it will be thawed by morning.

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Make Ahead Scrambled Eggs

(DOUBLE THIS FOR OUR FAMILY)
Make it the night before, then just reheat in the morning.

INGREDIENTS:
12 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

PREPARATION:
Beat eggs with cream in a large bowl. Stir in salt and pepper. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Pour eggs into skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until eggs are scrambled and set.
Remove pan from heat and stir in sour cream.
Spread eggs into a greased 12×7″ glass baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to eat, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Uncover the baking dish and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and eggs are hot. 8 servings

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Teddy Bear Snack Mix

2 cups ramen noodles, crushed
5 cups Golden Grahams cereal
3 cups bear shaped graham crackers
1 cup peanuts or sliced almonds
1 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Discard seasoning package from ramen noodles.
3. In a large bowl, mix together noodles, cereal, teddy bear cookies, nuts and raisins.
4. In a 4 cup glass measure, combine cinnamon, honey, butter and orange juice.
5. Heat in microwave until melted and well mixed.
6. Pour this mixture over the cereal mixture.
7. Toss to coat well.
8. Spread into a large rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, stirring once.
9. Remove from oven and cool.
10. Package in individual baggies, about 1/2 cup per baggie and then place in a larger freezer bag and freeze.

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Taco Roll-Ups

(Double this for our family)

1 lb ground beef
1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope taco seasoning
2/3 cup water
1 lb frozen bread dough, thawed
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1. Brown ground beef and add taco seasoning and water.
2. Cook for 5-10 minutes; set aside.
3. Roll thawed dough into a rectangle – about 20 x 8-inches.
4. Spread ground beef over dough – leaving about 1-inch of dough on one long edge free of filling.
5. Top beef with grated cheese.
6. Roll up as for cinnamon rolls starting with the long edge closest to you.
7. Pinch seam to seal.
8. Slice the roll into 1-inch thick slices with a serrated knife. Place rolls 2″ apart onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
9. If any filling falls out just press it into the top of the rolls.
10. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes until golden brown.
11. Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole for dipping.
12. To freeze: Allow to cool completely. Flash freeze and then place in a ziploc bag when firm. Label, seal and freeze.
13. To Serve: Thaw in fridge overnight or thaw/heat in microwave about 45 seconds on high.

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Make-Ahead Breakfast-On-The-Run Sausage Muffins

10 English muffins
softened butter (or use mayonnaise)
10 breakfast sausage patties
10 slices American cheese
eggs (sunny-side up or scrambled)
plastic wrap
aluminum foil

Cook the sausage patties in a skillet.

1. Toast each half of English muffin, then butter or spread with mayonnaise.
2. Cool the patties and the muffins.
3. Lay one sausage patty on top of half of a bun then top with cheese slice, top with remaining half of muffin.
4. Wrap each one individually in heavy plastic wrap and freeze until solid.
5. Remove the frozen sandwiches from freezer and wrap each sandwich tightly in foil to prevent any freezer burn, then return to freezer until ready to use.
6. When ready to use; unwrap the sandwich from the foil and plastic wrap.
7. Wrap in a paper towel and microwave on HIGH for about 50-60 seconds or until heated through.
8. Add on an egg (if using) before or after warming the sandwich.

Meal Plan Monday – The Weekly Menu for January

Part of my job description, as helpmeet, good steward, and Mama, is to plan frugal, nutritious meals for my family. I have had several people, over the years, question the logistics of feeding a larger-than-average-family on a modest one income.

So this year I will be sharing my meal plans and recipes here on this blog. This serves many purposes for me.

1. Sharing. In doing such, I hope that these plans can be of some benefit to you, AND I am hoping some of you will share some of your menus and recipes as well — which will benefit ME!
2. Record. In doing this, I also hope to establish a sort of recipe book for myself and my children. It will be so much easier to search for a tried-and-true recipe on one site, rather than to scour through books or huge online sites.
3. Stewardship. By making a meal plan, we won’t be facing that six o’clock hour wondering what on earth we’re going to eat, tempting us to prepare or “pick up” nutritionally void convenience foods or “fast foods”, which, in addition to being dangerous to our health, also carry a hefty price tag.

About my meal plans:

Rather than weekly meal plans, I tend to institute monthly meal plans – that is, the same weekly menu for the entire month. The reason for this is twofold: it helps with the ease of planning, and it saves money, as the grocery list stays the same for each week, allowing you to use some of the things you purchased for week one during subsequent weeks.

I will post the monthly grocery-totals, week-by-week, at the end of this month so you can see how cheaply a family of 11 can be fed, while serving, in most instances, three hot meals per day.

A couple of other things to note, most of my recipes will be posted with *my* family in mind, having been scaled to 10-12 servings, AND most of our recipes will be vegetarian or pseudo-vegetarian, both for the health benefits and the cost benefits.

Sunday
B – Crockpot omelet casserole or *hashbrown casserole
L – PICNIC -*Italian sandwiches & pbjs for kids, *tortillini salad
S – *Vegetarian tacos

Monday
B – *Oatmeal Applesauce bread, served w/ apple butter
L – *California Veggie Soup served w/Cottage Cheese
S – *Potatoes, Onions, & Eggs

Tuesday
B – *Fried cornmeal mush
L – Peanut butter & banana sandwiches, yogurt
S – *Fiesta soup, served w/corn chips

Wednesday
B – *Hearty scrambled eggs
L – *Potato soup & crackers
S – Spaghetti, served w/*cheese herb bread

Thursday
B – Oatmeal topped with preserves
L – *Baked potato bar
S – *Fiesta casserole

Friday
B – *Fiesta scrambled eggs
L– *Homemade tomato soup, served w/crackers
S – Pizza

Saturday
B – *Applesauce pancakes
L – *Vegetarian chili & peanut butter sandwiches
S – *Pasta fagioli & garlic cheese biscuits

*Recipes to follow

Weekly Menu

Posted also on my health blog.

Monday:
Breakfast: Hamburger Omelet
Lunch: Tossed Greens & Berries
Supper: Spaghetti Squash w/ oil assorted veggies, and feta cheese

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Berry Smoothie
Lunch: Fiesta Salad
Supper: Lemon Chicken, Sauteed carrots

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Broccoli Carrot Frittata
Lunch: Blackberry Spinach Salad
Supper: Tomato-Fennel Soup

Thursday:
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs & Strawberries
Lunch: Blackberry Spinach Salad
Supper: Easy Garlic Chicken & Lemon Pepper Green Beans

Friday:
Breakfast: Avocado Omelet
Lunch: Jewel of a Salad
Supper: Red Meat Chili

Saturday:
Breakfast: Omelet with Fresh Strawberries
Lunch: Leftover Chili
Supper: Cilantro Lime Chicken Cacciatore

Sunday:
Breakfast: Berry Smoothie
Lunch: Tossed Turkey, Greens, & Berries
Supper: Garlic Chicken Stir-fry