Monday, September 18, 2006

Menu Plan Monday


Every Monday Laura at I'm An Organizing Junkie hosts Meal Plan Monday. Lots of wonderful ideas are there for recipes for the week. I gotta say when I first thought of doing this I sorta scoffed at the idea. Sorry Laura. I'm such a fly by the seat of my pants cook. Love to cook but never thought planning a week of it at a time would help anything. But I gotta say, Laura you are so right. My week last week was that much less stressful because I didn't have to come up with something at the last second to cook for supper. I would take out of the freezer the meat I needed the night before so it was ready to go in the fridge. And the meal plan is flexible enough that things can be bounced around it I want or need to. So Laura, I'm joining in again. It is grocery shopping week, so we're getting down to not many choices in the freezer but here goes.

Monday: Sweet & Sour Pork chunks with Rice, Cucumbers in vinegarette.

Tuesday: Sloppy Joes in Hot Dog Buns, Green Salad

Wednesday: Italian Shake & Bake Chicken Drums with sidekick side and mixed veggies

Thursday: Crockpot Beef Cubes in gravy, mashed potatoes, cooked carrots

Friday: Hamburger Soup, Cheese toast

Saturday: Scrounge Day (whatever can be scrounged from the leftovers in the fridge)

Sunday: the usual We'll See Day


Hamburger Soup
1 1/2 lbs. hamburger
3 cups water
3 carrots, chopped
2 stalks, celery, sliced
1 large potatoe, cut in bite sized peices
2 medium onions chopped
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. brown bouquet sauce or 2 packets beef oxo
pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp. dried basil
1 28 oz. can tomatoes
Cook hamburger in Dutch oven; drain off fat. Add remaining ingrediants. If tomatoes are whole tomatoes, break up with fork. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until veggies are tender, about 15 - 20 minutes.
I always double this recipe and freeze half or leave half for Scrounge Saturday.


Sweet & Sour Pork
2 lbs. cheapest pork chops type meat cut into bite size chunks
1 Tbsp. oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 small onion, very finely chopped
1/2 bay leaf
1 small green pepper
Brown the pork slowly in heated oil. Drain fat and add all ingrediants except the green pepper. Cover and cook slowly for 1 1/2 - 2 hours until tender. Cut green pepper in thin strips. Throw away core and seeds. Add to meat and cook for 15 more minutes. Serve over rice.
Can be made in crockpot too. After browning meat add all ingrediants into crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours.
For more recipes and weekly menu plan ideas or if you'd like to post yours and link, go to I'm An Oraninzing Junkie: Meal Plan Monday

14 comments:

Laura said...

Allright!!!! I'm so happy this is working out for you and what a great encouragement to others. I LOVE your title of Scrounge Saturday. That about sums it up in our house too so I might just have to borrow that title if you don't mind. Thanks again for the recipes. You are so good typing those out for us. Laura

Kate said...

Oooo I want Thursday's recipe - the crock pot beef cubes. Do you use a creme based soup with that one or broth?

Heather Smith said...

That sweet and sour pork sounds yummy!!

Beck said...

I'm such an obsessive menu planner - I get panicky if I don't know when I wake up what I'm making for dinner. Your weeks sounds yummy!

Jenny said...

Great menu!! I'm going to try both of those recipes...hey...maybe next week!!!
Have a great day!

Islandsparrow said...

Suzanne you are making me hungry!! I'll be giving your sweet and sour dish a try - it looks delicious!

Jodi said...

The sweet and sour pork sounds yummy! My menu is up, stop on by.

Happy Monday!

Shawna said...

ALL of this sounds so delicious and healthy. Thanks for the recipes.

I just dropped in to say "Hello" and catch up on all of your fabulous posts. It is always good to visit you, Susanne, and I enjoyed every single post. I'll be back soon!

Tammy said...

I really need to check that out! I am one of those fly-by-night dinner planners, too...I hesitate to plan my whole week out for some reason, but your post may almost change my mind! :)

Barb said...

I've always been a fly by the seat of my pants cook, too. But now that our grocery budget is tighter, I find it helps a lot if I do plan what we're having and shop accordingly. So this is a good idea. Sadly, if I did this, Monday, Tuesday AND Wednesday would say "beef stew." I made a huge pot of it yesterday and I'm lucky my husband thinks it's wonderful and doesn't mind having it every night until it's gone.

Anonymous said...

That sweet and sour pork sounds yummy! I think we may try it this week! Thanks for posting the recipe! :)

Anonymous said...

Oh the sweet and sour pork sounds divine....already saved the recipe :) I'm so glad you're playing along. I've been doing menus for about 8 years now, and wouldn't have it any other way :)

April said...

Yum. I am coming to eat with you on Thursday. Great menus.Thanks for sharing
April

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the recipe..
jen