Meal plans - guest edition

My in-laws were here visiting for almost 2 weeks. Here is what we ate, and just about everything went over just fine and would be fine to serve to any company.

(sorry my week started Tues.... can't remember what we ate those couple days before they came!)

Tuesday - Beef Stew and bread

Wednesday - Corned Beef, Cabbage & Potatoes, Carrots & Turnips (this was St. Patrick's Day!)

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - Taco Salad (this only went over so-so, probably wouldn't serve it again to them, but I think it's a great company meal since it makes lots and doesn't keep well :-))

Saturday - Spaghetti with ground beef in sauce and bread

Sunday - White Chicken Chili

Monday - Leftover soup and sandwiches

Tuesday - Chicken Tetrazzini

Wednesday - Whole chicken, corn on the cob & mashed potatoes

Thursday - Nut Loaves & baked potatoes (this is a great vegetarian meal, my DH wondered where the meat was and I served him leftover chicken as well!)

Friday - Beef Stroganoff & Spinach Salad

Saturday - Chicken Soup

(I also managed to make 2 batches of chicken stock this week - ended up with 19- 12 ounce jars of stock plus enough left out to make the chicken soup from all stock!)

I will try and get the other recipes posted soon too!

meal plans

Meal plans..............

these are so helpful for me, I am not having to think of dinner off the top of my head. We eat with foods we have here and when I plan ahead the evenings seem a little less rushed and full of cleaning and cooking and dealing with kids at the end of a long day.

I tend to make a list of dinners and a list lunch and breakfast ideas for the week and then work off it as my week starts to develop. Some weeks I can tell you what we will have each day and other weeks I don't decide till that morning what I am going to make. But, I find it really helps to have a list of dinners for the week. And since I do quite a bit of breakfast "prep", making breakfast quick in the morning - knowing what I am planning on helps alot in the evenings too when I want to get things started.

I have toyed with the idea of main dish themes for each day of the week - Like "Meatless Mondays", "Vegetarian Tuesdays", "Beans on Wednesday" .......... or Chicken on Wednesday, Beef on Thursday, Fish on Friday, Soup on Saturday............. you get the idea. But, I never really seem to stick with it. And depending on our week we sometimes have more of one thing - like chicken or refried beans cause I make up enough for a couple different meals.

So, right now I am sticking with my rather generic lists. :-)

Lat week I wrote down what we had, thought I would share and over the next couple weeks I will try and share some of the recipes as well.

Monday

B: yougurt & leftover biscuits and gravy

L: pasta

D: smothered bean and cheese burritos with green chilies sauce and homemade tortillas

Tuesday

B: pasta & toast

L:

D: leftovers

Wednesday

B: eggs w/ gravy and tortillas

L: pasta/chips & homemade guacamole

D: Talapia and roasted potatoes

Thursday

B: yogurt muesli

L: cheese crackers and apples

D: cream cheese chicken and l/o roasted potatoes

Friday

B: French toast

L: yogurt

D: Cabbage soup and homemade bread

Saturday

B: yogurt/breakfast burritos

L:

D: Red Beans and Rice w/ Italian Sausage

Sunday

B: Eggs w/ green chili sauce

L:

D: Salmon w/ rice & cauliflower

Now, off to work on next week's list!

(We're having leftovers tonight......... your choice of cabbage soup, rice, cauliflower, red beans and rice and whatever else I might find!)