Menu Plan–December 6

We are heading into the last week of classes this week!  I can’t believe how quickly the semester has passed us by. 

We are still eating up the last of our Thanksgiving leftovers and looking forward to eating recipes that contain ingredients other than turkey.

Breakfasts
Pumpkin Pancakes
Pumpkin Spice Granola
Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
Eggs

Sunday
Ranch Chicken with Roasted Broccoli {new}
To do: thaw meat for casserole, dice peppers

Monday
Unstuffed Pepper Casserole
To do: Thaw meat for casserole

Tuesday
One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta, Green Beans
To do: prep potatoes

Wednesday
Crockpot Baked Potato Bar

Thursday
Leftovers
To do: Prep veggies and meat for pizza

Friday
BBQ Chicken Pizza and Garden Veggie Ricotta Pizza
To do: Thaw meat for chili, prep peppers

Saturday
Crockpot Sweet Potato Chili, Corn Bread {new}

Have a great week!

Menu Plan–Nov. 29

Hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving.  We had a wonderful celebration, followed by our annual girls baking day with lots of laughs and cuddles spread throughout the weekend.  Our little one had a great 1st Thanksgiving; she really enjoyed the turkey, soup and potatoes. 

This week is one of my favorites, food wise.  I just love Thanksgiving leftovers and this week’s menu is full of them:

Breakfasts
Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal {using leftover squash}
Apple Cranberry Baked Oatmeal {using leftover cranberries}
Banana Bread
Eggs & Toast

Sunday
Kentucky Hot Browns with Roasted Broccoli and Zucchini
To do: Make banana bread, prep broccoli hotdish

Monday
Broccoli Hotdish
To do: Prep Fajitas and ingredients for soup

Tuesday
Turkey Fajitas
To do: Nothing; Life Group Night

Wednesday
LO
To do: Prep veggies for soup

Thursday
Crockpot Wild Rice Soup {new} with Dinner Rolls
To do: Nothing; Christmas Tea

Friday
Slow Cooker Veggie Soup {new}, Dinner Rolls (freezer)

Saturday
LO

Have a great week!

Menu Plan–November 1

I can’t believe we are in November already.  I guess our lovely weather hasn’t helped much to mark the seasons.  This week, the forecast says 60+ degrees nearly all week long; I’ll take it! 

We had a good Halloween weekend, although our little one has had a rough time over the past few days.  She isn’t feeling the greatest and the time change… oh my!  4:30am was early this morning.  Hopefully we’ll be ready to go tomorrow morning. 

Our menu still consists of many fall flavors – it’s my favorite time of year and some of my all-time favorite flavors. 

Breakfasts
Apple Danish
Maple Oat Scones
Cinnamon Roll Toast
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Raisin French Toast
Pumpkin Spice Granola

Sunday
Chicken Stew, green beans

Monday
Leftovers
To do: Make cookies for Life Group, thaw Italian sausage for soup

Tuesday
Meatball Tortellini Soup, French Bread {freezer}

Wednesday
Leftovers
To do: Thaw chicken

Thursday
Crockpot Chicken Parmesan, broccoli

Friday
Calzones {freezer}, salad

Saturday
Sweet Potato Risotto with Kale Chips

Have a great week!

Menu Plan–October 25

Frog Prince and I just returned from a wonderful weekend away enjoying the great fall colors in the southern part of our state.  We left our little one with my parents for the weekend!  It was a good get-away, but we were ready to see our little cutie by the time we returned. 

Besides seeing the fall colors and spending time together, the highlight for us was a really fun roadside market where we got some black diamond popcorn, apple fritters, hot cider and lots and lots of apples.  We also had some excellent pizza at a local pizzeria. Oh, and we saw quite a few bald eagles too. 

We’re back into things this week; I can’t believe we have a 9 month old and we are wrapping up October.  My, how times flies. 

Breakfasts
Apple Danish
Maple Oat Scones
Whole Wheat English Muffins
Cinnamon Roll Toast
Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Fluffy Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

Sunday
Lazy Sunday Casserole

Monday
Cheesy Chicken and Ranch Casserole, Broccoli

Tuesday
Potato Soup, Focaccia Bread {freezer}

Wednesday
Leftovers

Thursday
Chicken Spinach Quiche

Friday
Chicken Stew

Saturday
Halloween Pizza

Happy week!

Menu Plan–October 18

We had a great weekend!  The weather was beautiful and we kicked off Halloween a bit early with a nature center Halloween party on Friday night.  Our little purple dragon was warm and actually pretty interested in the events. 

We celebrated the unbelievable MSU win over University of Michigan with homemade French bread pizza and finished the weekend with a trip to the apple orchard.  So fun. 

On to the week!

Breakfasts
Apple Danish
Maple Oat Scones
Whole Wheat English Muffins
Pumpkin Spice Granola

Sunday
Baked Ranch Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Zucchini {new}
To do: Make applesauce and apple danishes

Monday
Skillet Lasagna with Broccoli
To do: Prep potatoes and veggies for soups

Tuesday
Baked Potato Soup {crockpot}
To do: Make apple braid

Wednesday
LO

Thursday
Crockpot Minestrone {new}
To do: Make baked oatmeal, travel bars, buttermilk bread

Friday
Fall Break! LO soup + French bread

Saturday
Crockpot Fajitas

Menu Plan–October 12

Fall is here, the colors are in full swing, and the weather has turned a bit chilly.  We are enjoying the tastes and sights of fall!  Our favorite breakfast lately was the Apple Cider Donuts…. yum-o!

We also really enjoyed a quick and easy family dinner of our favorite chicken and brown rice bake.  We doubled the recipe to eat for a few more days for leftovers. 

Our menu this week looks like this:

Apple Cider Baked Donuts
Pumpkin Spice Granola
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes with Apple Topping
Egg Sandwiches 

Sunday
Three Cheese Ziti
To do: Thaw chicken

Monday
Roasted Chicken and Vegetables {new}
To do: Thaw more chicken, dice peppers

Tuesday
Crockpot Philly Cheesesteak

Wednesday
LO

Thursday
Butternut Black Bean Pasta Skillet {new}

Friday
Mushroom and Mozzarella Chicken

Saturday
Butternut Squash and Kale Quesadillas, Roasted Tomato Soup

Happy week!

Menu Plan–October 6

A little late, but still posting a menu for this week because it helps us stay on track, eat better and spend less time trying to figure out “what to make for dinner”.  It’s been a rough few weeks with the standard day care germs making our little 8.5 month old sick, sick, sick.  We’ve had three ear infections, 3 colds and 1 dose of antibiotics already this fall…. oh my!  Plus, she’s shared her germs with all of us.  That’s fun. 

Thankfully, it’s fall and we can enjoy some soups – those are perfect for sore throats and are full of immune-building ingredients too.  We’ve already made two batches of our homemade turkey noodle soup … sooo good.  

Here’s what we plan to eat for the rest of the week:

Breakfasts
Apple Cider Baked Donuts
Pumpkin Spice Granola
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes with Apple Topping

Tuesday
Cheesy Lentil Bake {leftover}, green beans

Wednesday
Potato soup, No-Knead Fococcia Bread {freezer}

Thursday
Chicken and Brown Rice Bake, steamed carrots

Friday
Pizza with Bread Machine Pizza Dough {new}

Saturday
Wedding

Menu Plan–Sept 28

Our recipe highlight from last week went to the zucchini pizza casserole.  It also comes together really quickly, making it a weeknight winner. 

We also made these Great Pumpkin Cookies for life group and they were a hit. 

 

Here’s the menu for this week:

Breakfasts
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Fluffy Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
Apple Cider Baked Donuts
Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

Sunday
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Monday
Cheesy Green Bean Skillet

Tuesday
Italian Sausage and Vegetable Cheese Bread with Cheese Bread
To do: make cheese bread, make Great Pumpkin Cookies

Wednesday
LO

Thursday
Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese, steamed green beans
To do: thaw Italian sausage

Friday
Penne with Broccoli and Sausage

Saturday
Fall Party

Have a great week!

Menu Plan–Sept 20

Fall is here!  The trees are starting to turn colors, and the bumper apple crop is in full swing.  We made our fist batch of homemade country spice applesauce last week and it was definitely the highlight of our menu!

On to his week:

Breakfasts
Apple Cider Baked Donuts
Pumpkin Spice Granola
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes with Apple Topping
Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal
Egg Bake
Apple Carrot Zucchini Muffins

Sunday
Grilling – Brats, Italian Sausage, Corn, Potato Wedges, steamed carrots
To do: Make applesauce, granola, shred zucchini, groceries

Monday
Zucchini Pizza Casserole
To do: Make pumpkin cookies, prep veggies for soup

Tuesday
Cheese Crusted Lasagna Soup
Life Group Dessert: Great Pumpkin Cookies
To do: Dehydrate apple slices

Wednesday
LO
To do: Prep veggies for pie

Thursday
Fajita Pie with Tortilla Crust, steamed carrots
To do: Dice squash and apples

Friday
Roasted Apples Squash and Sausage {new}, green beans and carrots
To do: Prep buns for sloppy joes, thaw chicken

Saturday
Apple Danish
Crockpot Sloppy Joes, steamed/roasted veggies
Fireman’s Chicken with Grilled Sweet Potato and Corn Salad {new}
Apple Cinnamon Rice Krispie Treats & Popcorn

Menu Plan–Sept. 13

Our recipe highlight from last week went to our favorite homemade pizza topped with kale, ham, bell peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms!  Oh my!  It was the perfect pairing to the MSU vs. Oregon football game on Saturday night.  #gogreen

We are rolling into the third week of classes, and we are getting into a groove with our schedule.  Menu planning is key to our success, otherwise, I am sure we’d be eating grilled cheese every.single.night. 

Breakfasts
Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
Blueberry Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
Light Hawaiian Banana Bread
Eggs and Toast
Granola with fresh berries

Sunday
Grilled Pork with Zucchini and Corn Salad, Mashed Potatoes
To do: Thaw lasagna, get apples

Monday
Veggie-Stuffed Lasagna with No-Knead Focaccia Bread, Green Beans
To do: Make crisp while the oven is hot, thaw pork & prep apples

Tuesday
Crockpot Balsamic Pork with Apples
To do: Make granola and baked oatmeal

Wednesday
Biology Department BBQ!
To do: Nothing

Thursday
Leftovers
To do: Shred zucchini

Friday
Zucchini Pancake Fritters {new}, corn on the cob

Saturday
BBQ! Burgers, Brats, Sweet Potato and Green Bean Salad

Menu Plan–Sept 7

Summer is “over”…. school started last week, and with the holiday today and fall things starting up, we say goodbye to summer.  Even still, we’ll hang on to summer foods just a couple more weeks!  There are some things I just can’t part with yet. 

Breakfasts
Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
Blueberry Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
Light Hawaiian Banana Bread
Eggs and Toast
Granola with fresh berries

Monday
Leftovers

Tuesday
Spaghetti Polpette {new}, green beans

Wednesday
Leftovers

Thursday
Cheesy Lentil Bake {freezer}

Friday
Grilled Pizza {ricotta & sweet potato)

Saturday
Breakfast Bake
Zucchini Pancake Fritters {new}, corn on the cob

Happy Labor Day!

Menu Plan–August 30

It’s the first week of school around here, and we are coming up from two weeks getting acquainted with daycare and the germs associated with that.  Fun times. 

While all that has been happening, we haven’t managed much cooking.  Although, I did make a big batch of Pioneer Woman’s Grilled Veggie Burritos last weekend and that lasted us through the early part of the week.  Yummy!

Now that school is here, I depend even more on our weekly menu to make things happen in the food department.  Since our little one is now eating solid foods (thank you, baby-led weaning), I also have to be intentional about planning sides that she can eat on her own. 

So, here’s our menu:

Breakfasts
Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
Blueberry Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
Light Hawaiian Banana Bread
Eggs and Toast
Granola with fresh berries

Sunday
Zucchini, Ham and Rice Bake {new}, roasted vegetables
To do: 2x veggies, clean green beans, make banana bread, thaw casserole

Monday
Unstuffed Pepper Casserole {freezer}, green beans
To do: Thaw chicken

Tuesday
Italian Grilled Chicken, roasted veggies
To do: Shred zucchini and prep dry ingredients

Wednesday
Zucchini Pancakes {new}, Sweet Potato Wedges
To do: roast tomatoes while oven is hot

Thursday
Ricotta Fritters with Tomato Basil Sauce {new}
To do: soak lentils overnight

Friday
Crockpot Lentil and Brown Rice Tacos, Roasted Tomato Wedges
To do: Thaw chicken

Saturday
BBQ – Fireman’s chicken, roasted veggies and corn on the cob

Happy week!

Menu Plan–August 17

I can’t believe summer is virtually over.  I start back to work today, which means our little girl is heading off to daycare for the first time.  Boo.  We had a blast this summer, and I know she’ll have a great time at school too.  I am looking forward to being back in the classroom with new college freshman and some juniors too this fall, it’s just always tough transitioning back. 

With all the chaos leading up to today, the menu highlight of last week goes to the quick and easy spaghetti sauce.  It was made even better by the fact that Frog Prince cooked it up one night… bliss. 

We’re expecting a busy week, so we’re keeping our meals simple. 

Monday
Leftovers after the eye dr
To do: Make lunches

Tuesday
Spaghetti Braid (or favorite way to use up leftover spaghetti)
To do: dice veggies for mushrooms and for grilling on Friday

Wednesday
Veggie-Stuffed Mushrooms
To do: Thaw ham

Thursday
Zucchini and Summer Squash Gratin
To do: Thaw meat for grill, make and bake buns

Friday
BBQ – burgers, brats, grilled veggies and potatoes

Saturday
Grilled Veggie Burritos {new}
To do: Make rice

Menu Plan–August 9

It has been a fun week with Frog Prince’s mom visiting.  We’ve been doing a lot of gluten-free, dairy-free cooking while she is visiting, since she has celiac disease.  That means some of my favorite recipes – like black bean brownies, and sweet potato corn bread have been on the menu! 

We are enjoying her visit very much and have filled our days with sightseeing and lots of quality time together. 

On to our menu for the week:

Sunday
Breakfast: Sweet Potato Corn Bread
Dinner: Crockpot Swiss Steak and Baked Potatoes
To do: Thaw chicken

Monday
Breakfast: Blueberry Baked Oatmeal (gluten & dairy free version coming soon!) Lunch: Sweet and Sour Chicken and Brown Rice
Dinner: BBQ Brats/Burgers/Sausages and Potato Fries with Corn
Great Lakes Crisp {new}
To do: Bake crisp, make baked oatmeal

Tuesday
LO
To do: Costco

Wednesday - 12
Cheesy Green Bean Skillet
Dessert for Norwex Party: Banana Bread
To do: Make granola, banana bread, thaw ham

Thursday
Zucchini and Summer Squash Gratin
To do: pick and clean kale from the garden

Friday
Mushroom and Kale Stroganoff

Saturday
LO

Menu Plan–August 3

Last week was a busy one!  It seems that when the calendar flips over to August, all things school start up again.  I had a great conference over the weekend, which included hosting nearly 20 people over for a BBQ dinner on Saturday night.  We enjoyed beer brats and this yummy roasted veggie salad.  I made it ahead and that worked out really well. 

Another recipe highlight is a meal perfect for a summer lunch or light dinner: Zucchini, Carrot and Black Bean Quesadillas. 

Here is our plan for eats this week:

Sunday
Grilled Chicken and Roasted Potato and Green Bean Salad
To do: Thaw chicken

Monday
Smokehouse Maple Fajitas, Green Beans from the garden
To do: Slice mushrooms while slicing peppers

Tuesday
Pasta and Creamy Mushrooms
To do: Thaw casserole dish

Wednesday
Unstuffed Pepper Casserole {freezer}
To do: Make wild rice

Thursday
Ratatouille with Brown Rice
Black Bean Brownies
To do: Thaw chicken, dice extra bell peppers

Friday
Balsamic Crusted Chicken & Wild Rice Pepper Salad {lunch}
Fair for dinner
To do: Thaw steak

Saturday
Crockpot Swiss Steak and Baked Potatoes
To do: Make Great Lakes crisp

Menu Plan–July 26

Our recipe highlight for the week went to a summer favorite: Zucchini and Ham Tortilla Bake!  Delicious and light, this dinner is a sure hit on a summer evening. 

We also made our favorite cinnamon zucchini cake topped with cream cheese frosting to celebrate our little girl being 6 months old… and finalizing her adoption! 

On to this week:

Breakfasts
Breakfast Burritos {freezer}
Granola
Berry Baked Oatmeal
Whole Wheat Waffles

Sunday
Zucchini, Carrot and Black Bean Quesadillas

Monday
LO
To do: Thaw chicken, make wild rice and brown rice, ice cream cake base

Tuesday
Re-create our wedding dinner for our 8th anniversary!
To do: Prep veggies for BBQ, Shred carrots and zucchini, make chocolate ice cream

Wednesday
Grilled Pizza
To do: Make granola, Costco run, order brats

Thursday
Baked Veggie Sandwiches with Sweet Potato Fries
To do: Make rice salad for conference, make ice cream for cake

Friday
LO

Saturday
SABER BBQ – Wild Rice Brats, Roasted Veggie Summer Salad, Fruit and Ice Cream Cake

Menu Plan–July 21

 Our week got off to a rocky start after being without power over the weekend for 17 hours.  If it weren’t for food safety concerns, it really wouldn’t have been that bad.  But, we made it, and are back up and running.  Our menu highlight last week went to these amazing zucchini burgers.  Love them. 

We followed those healthy burgers with the not-as-healthy but oh-so-delicious brownie strawberry sundaes.  Yum-o. 

Here is what’s cooking in our kitchen this week:

Tuesday
Crockpot Chicken Teriyaki with Grilled Pineapple
To do: make baked oatmeal and banana bread; go to Costco

Wednesday
Spinach and Mushroom Calzones
To do: Thaw ham, go to the grocery store

Thursday
Zucchini and Ham Tortilla Bake, Green Beans
To do: pick green beans, make cherry BBQ sauce, make bacon in oven while it is hot

Friday
Cherry BBQ Ribs, Crockpot Baked Potatoes, Corn
Cinnamon Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
To do: Make zucchini cake in the morning, make frosting; frost before serving

Saturday
Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes (make a double batch)
Roasted Tomato BLT
To do: Prep veggies for Sunday’s dinner

Make it a great week!

Menu Plan–July 12

With the heat index, it’s 107 outside right now, the dew point is 78.  It’s going to be a hot night, and a hot and rainy week.  We’ll be keeping things cool with skillet, crockpot and grilling recipes.  Here’s our menu:

Breakfasts
Breakfast Burritos {freezer}
Granola
Whole Wheat Waffles
Blueberry Pancakes

Sunday
Beef and Zucchini Skillet {new}
Brownie Ice Cream Sundaes
To do: Make ice cream

Monday
LO

Tuesday
Lasagna Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
To do: Make buns (both kinds) while oven is hot, roast veggies while the oven is hot; slice extra peppers for cheesesteaks

Wednesday
Zucchini Burgers and roasted veggies
To do: Thaw

Thursday
Crockpot Philly Cheesesteak Melts
To do: Thaw pork

Friday
Crockpot Pulled Pork Teriyaki Sandwiches, Seared Pineapple, Kale Chips

Saturday
Blueberry Rhubarb Cinnamon Rolls
Grilled Brats and Burgers with Barley Corn Salad {new}

Menu Plan–June 29

Our summer menu planning is in full swing.  Grilling, salads, fresh fruits and veggies and summer flavors are something we look forward to every year. 

Last week, we enjoyed our sweet potato and kale chicken patties – oh, my!  We love these.  The next time we make these, our kale will be ready in the garden.  I’m sure I’ll make some kale chips to go along with these. 

On to our week this week:

Breakfasts
Breakfast Burritos {freezer}
Granola
Berry Baked Oatmeal
Whole Wheat Waffles

Monday
Baked Pasta with Tomatoes and Mozzarella {new}
To do: Thaw chicken

Tuesday
Grilled Pineapple Chicken Foil Packets {new}, Brown Rice
To do: Make pesto and buns

Wednesday
Chicken Pesto Sandwiches, Sweet Potato Fries
To do: Make bread

Thursday
Roasted Tomato Sandwiches, steamed veggies
To do: Thaw pork chops

Friday
Grilled Pork Chops with Tomato and Zucchini {new}

Saturday
BBQ!  Potato salad, Garlic & Onion Brats, Crockpot Baked Beans, Corn, Fruit Pizza

Enjoy the week!

Menu Plan–June 21

Our menu highlight last week was a tie – Lentil and Brown Rice Tacos (Crockpot friendly!) and Grilled Pizza. 

I’d probably give the edge to the grilled pizza because, well, it’s grilled pizza. 

If you haven’t made grilled pizza before, do so!  15 minutes and dinner is ready.  Plus, it’s grilled pizza. 

Now, onto the menu this week:

Breakfasts
Breakfast Burritos {freezer}
Granola
Berry Baked Oatmeal
Whole Wheat Waffles with Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

Sunday
Brussels Sprout & Sweet Potato Salad {new}, Garlic & Beer Marinated Chicken {new}
To do: Make buns

Monday
Sweet Potato and Kale Chicken Patties, Peasant Herb Summer Veggies {new}
To do: Thaw chicken, dice bell peppers

Tuesday
Sweet and Sour Chicken, Brown Rice, Steamed Broccoli
To do: Prep veggies, prep extra for primavera

Wednesday
Roasted Corn, Zucchini and Tomato Pasta {new}

Thursday
Leftovers
To do: Thaw ham

Friday
Tortellini Primavera {new}
To do: Thaw chicken

Saturday
Grilled Chicken {new} and Veggie Kebobs

Dessert: Raspberry Rhubarb Shortcake