I really do love to cook, but one of the worst things for this cook is when I don't have a plan.
Sidenote: that is perhaps my most favorite word in all the English language. Plan
. It is also perhaps my husband's LEAST favorite word in all the English language. Plan
. Yet, somehow we still make it work. It's almost like Jesus knew we needed each other! You know, like HE had a plan! ;)
In case you are in a bit o' a rut when it comes to your menu planning, I thought I'd share what we are havin' in la casa de Gibson this month. Before I share, I have to add that I didn't plan until after the month had started, so if you are wondering why there aren't 30 meals listed, let me reassure you: no, you are not
that sleep deprived and/or caffeine overloaded. There are only 25 meals.
Breakfast is usually cereal for the littles and eggs of some sort for the grown ups... which usually gets "shared" with the littles. Hmmm... anyone else have the scenario in your house? On the weekends I will sometimes/often fix a bigger breakfast-- pancakes or french toast or biscuits and gravy. That sort of thing. But, in all honesty, my kiddos
really love cereal. (
Note lunch confession in next paragraph)
Lunch is usually some sort of salad for the grown ups (or leftovers) and PB & J for the littles. True confession: my sweet Ellie will often ask for cereal again for lunch. (And here's the confession: sometimes I let her. Don't judge. She also gets some fruit!)
Dinner is usually the most tempting time to eat out for me. While I really love to cook, I also
really love all the different options that come with eating out (plus, there's no clean up-- I do NOT really love clean up). However, as I am trying to tighten up our budget, I am determined to stick to my plan! If there is a linked recipe for one of the dinners, I have included it. If it's just a "go to" recipe that I make quite often, I'll give the cliff notes' version. If you need any additional information, just leave me a note in the comments! :)
So here's the scoop...
Cube Steak with rice and gravy, some random frozen veggie
~Lightly flour/salt/pepper the meat, brown in pan.
~Cook rice as you normally would (I always saute a little garlic in EVOO before adding the dry rice, stir and let it "roast" a bit, and then use chicken stock instead of water).
~For the gravy, melt 3-4 tablespoons of butter, medium heat. Add in equal parts flour (3-4 tbls). Let it "cook" as you whisk for about 3 minutes. Gradually add in 2 cups chicken stock, constantly whisking. Add a 1/4 cup whipping cream and whisk, whisk, whisk. If the gravy is still too thick for your liking, add a little more water. Let it simmer over really low until you are ready to serve.
Lasagna and salad
~I just use the recipe off of the
back of the Barilla "No Cook Noodles" box! :) But I don't use meat-- we are just a 3 cheese lasagna kind of house (because that's how Mama likes it! ;) ). But I also made a super yummy desert: scones with ice cream and homemade peach topping.
*
Double bonus for the recipe: I made two pans-- one for dinner and then one to freeze for later! Score one in the "W" column.
~This recipe actually had some leftover beef and gravy, plus we had leftover rice from the night before. So... hubby got to have one of his faves for lunch the next day: rice with beef and gravy!
Homemade Pizza
~I really want to eventually try this
NY Style Pizza Crust, but currently I use
this one-- mostly because from start to finish
if I'm not interrupted 379 times it takes less than an hour for the entire pizza process.
~I even made my own sauce (which makes a lot, so again: stockin' the freezer!) from one of my favorite food blogs,
Budget Bytes. She has a TON (no, seriously. A TON) of great recipes and ideas-- and she prices them all out for you. Wowzers. Color me impressed.
Pancakes
~We love us some breakfast food. I'm not sure if we'll do
banana pancakes (I add a little more sugar, 2 eggs instead of one, and add a little more flour) or just maybe even
chocolate chip ones.
~Ooo, ooooo! Wait! I just remembered: I have some of that leftover peach topping from my awesome dessert the other night. Plus, I have some whipping cream I can... well, whip. Yah, I'll be the coolest mama in town tonight!!!
You can tell they are always a big hit!
Pork Chops, mashed potatoes w/ gravy (of course), and random frozen veggies
~With the chops, just whisk together some flour, a little onion powder, and paprika. Lightly coat the chops, salt and pepper, and then cook in some heated EVOO in a pan, browning on both sides.
~Make them taters!
Burgers on the grill! (Super pumped for this-- hubby cooks!!!)
~I will undoubtedly make some homemade buns for these. Don't be scared: try it! I modify this recipe for
One Hour Rolls, just making each "roll" larger than a dinner roll would be.
Deer Steaks with some random frozen veggies
~I have a wonderfully sweet friend who shared her (yes, "her"!) venison that she hunted. It's such a blessing how the Lord provides for us!
~I will probably just cook it on the stove top in some EVOO. However, I may get creative and marinate it, just for a little variety. Stay tuned...
Mac 'n Cheese with Veggies
~I love a good mac 'n cheese. And I'm not talking about the kind from the blue box. I mean, get out your pot, cook up some pasta (in well salted water!), add a little butter, generously stir in your favorite cheese (we love us some Havarti!), and then splash in a little milk that's been mixed with a tablespoon of flour. Yum. Oh.
~I have used "fun shaped" pasta before and stirred in some peas to go with it. We'll see how creative I'm feeling that night. :)
This is actually a version of carbonara that I've made. A possibility...!
Chicken Taco Bowls
~I often serve this with some tortilla chips or even a cheese quesadilla.
Spaghetti
~This will be the night that I will be able to ask my hubby to complete anything from my "honey do" list. Spaghetti is the man of my dreams' kryptonite. [*evil laugh*... *rubs hands together*]
~I usually make my own sauce... cook up some sausage, drain, and set to the side. Saute some garlic in some EVOO, add in a small can of tomato paste and let it "cook" for a couple of minutes. Add in a large can of crushed tomatoes and petite diced tomatoes. Toss in your favorite spices-- basil, oregano, onion powder, and a little sugar. Season to taste. Let it simmer and add back in that sausage.
Tacos made with Naan (instead of regular tortillas)
~WARNING: if you have never had naan before. I will warn you now. This stuff is
majorly addicting. You will need to dig ever-so-deeply into your soul, finding every ounce of your self control, and then proceed with extreme caution when making-- or you will indeed eat every single portion of this, right as it comes hot off the griddle. And then no one will have any for your tacos.
~There's really nothing "special" that I do for my taco meat. I will usually use grilled chicken breasts or if I have some (that I bought on sale) carne asada beef, I'll use that.
Ham Dinner (obviously, this will be for Easter Sunday!)
~Since my sweet Man Of is a pastor, I'll definitely be putting my ham in the crockpot. My mama makes the BEST ham ever-- she puts a few slits in the top, smooshes in some brown sugar, and packs a can of crushed pineapple on top. So. good. (Is it Easter yet?!)
Tomato Soup with grilled cheese sandwiches
~This recipe is really nice because I can put it in the crockpot to simmer or make it on the stove top. Also, it makes a LOT, so I usually end up freezing several cups of it-- which I will take to school for some yummy lunches.
Mongolian Beef
~This is another new recipe, but it has five stars after over 500 reviews. Must be good, right?
~Probably will serve this over rice and add a salad on the side.
Easy Sesame Chicken My family LOVES Chinese take out. So this is a
must on our monthly menu. My sweet Daniel would have this multiple times a week if I would make it! He always looks very keenly at how much is left as to whether or not he will be able to score some leftovers for his lunch the next day! So as to NOT over rice my family, I will make some sort of noodle to go along with this. I love a sort of lo mein with veggies.
Pancakes. Yes, again. There are several "late" evenings throughout our week-- the littles have Tae Kwon Do a couple nights, we have prayer meeting one night, and sometimes [quite frankly] mama is just tired. So, yes. I put this on the menu twice. Also, I never really get met with much resistance from the Gang. [note pictures from earlier in post!]
Sloppy Joes
~This is "roughly" the recipe that I use. I omit the peppers and onions [I will use onion powder for flavor], and usually I "up" the sauciness. I love sauce. Mmm...
~I will once again be making some of those delicious
one hour rolls for buns.
~If I plan well enough, I'll also have some cole slaw to go along with these Joes. And pickles. I love pickles. So does my sweet girl.
Chicken and Wild Rice
~I will probably fix the chicken separately from the rice. For whatever reason, I rarely have success at the one pan, put it in the oven and bake chicken and rice. So, yah. Unless I'm feeling extra brave, I just won't risk it.
Bulgogi. Do you know
bulgogi? I mean, do you
really know it? Before I was married, I spent a couple of terms teaching in South Korea. Loved. It. I mean, everything single thing about it. The people, the culture, the food. The. Food. Oh, my. My. Lands. Did I mention the food? I love the spice and flavor and variety. My mouth is
literally watering as I type, just thinking about it. And bulgogi is kind of like the "pizza" of Korea-- you know, tons of different varieties and just about everybody knows it and loves it. The best part for me is that it is a complete meal-- you have veggies, starches, and protein. And it's very healthy and tasty. Hmm... looks like my "W" column is rackin' 'em up!
Pizza. Yes, much like pancakes, we love some pizza. I'm pretty certain that *I* could eat pizza multiple times a week. Remember that
other pizza dough that I really want to try? Maybe it will be tonight! :) If not, I actually have some dough already frozen in my deep freezer. Plus, I already have my
sauce in the freezer, too. I love it when a plan comes together.
Fettuccine Alfredo Allow me to offer this bit of advice. Do not buy any sort of "pre-shredded" cheese if you can help it at all. Trust me, once you grate/shred your own: you will never turn back. The flavor is so much richer and creamier. No, seriously. It's great.
Here's a great post on the pros of home shredding. (PS~ Sorry that I didn't offer this advice earlier with the pizza recipes. I also shred my own mozzarella and the results are magnificent!!!)
BLT Sandwiches. Yes, you made it all the way to the end, and this is where we are. However! Before you brush off this final recipe of the bunch, read on. These won't be any ordinary BLTs. I will be making and serving these on some of my favorite bread in all the world:
focaccia. Be warned: the only difficult part of this recipe is that you have to plan ahead. This dough works in a fermenting process, so you have to let it "do it's thang" for 14 hours. But, take my word for it: it is worth the wait! Also, as a little "extra" for you, having made it all the way through this post... one of my favorite kinds of mayo is to take some Duke's mayo, then add in a few splashes of balsamic vinegar and cracked pepper. This will change your life. Well, not as much as Jesus [obviously], but it's mighty tasty.
BONUS: Since I will (hopefully!) have some leftover focaccia bread and mozzarella cheese from the past couple of days, I will be serving up my ABSOLUTE favorite sandwich (and top 5 food of all time!)...
Balsamic Caprese Panini.
Happy Eating! I hope that at least a couple of these recipes and dinner plans will help offer you a little sanity in your otherwise busy life. (Um, I'm hoping that I'm not the only crazy in the bunch...)
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