Sunday, January 16, 2011

What's Linus Eating? - This Week's Menu Plan

I know I'm not posting as regularly as my scheduling self would like, but I'm doing my best not to stress about it. I figure the schedule helps me even when ideas are lacking but that I don't have to feel confined by it.

That being said, I'm officially declaring that menu and recipe sharing can take place anytime during the weekend. I don't always get the planning done on Saturday, since my shopping tends to take place on Monday mornings while Linus is at preschool.

Here's what we'll be eating this week.

Sunday- Leftovers
Time to clear out the fridge in preparation for the next grocery run, so Sunday is a leftovers day. Lucky for us, I figure freezer food is fair game on leftover day so we indulged in some Pioneer Woman cinnamon rolls (recipe from the Pioneer Woman cookbook). Dare I say, they may have even been better after freezing as the gooey frosting had time to soak in during the thaw.

Monday- Out to Dinner (Update below)
We've been invited by Carolina Mama to join a group of fellow bloggers at Noodles and Co. The restaurant wants to show off their menu and we're happy to participate. Afterall, Linus feels there's never a bad time for a serving of their Macaroni and Cheese with double broccoli and tofu (yes, he's weird), and I'm just happy for the option of adding more veggies.

(Update: Scratch that. Noodles & Co is the 24th. Thanks to my friend Kelly, we didn't drive all the way out there. I have it on my calendar right -- just not in my head.  Good thing I made that double batch of Spinach-Chicken Casserole.)


Tuesday- Pioneer Woman's Chicken Pot Pie
Adrian's cousin Amy has a new member who joined the family in mid-December, so we're doing our part to help the transition to a family of 4 by providing food. Nothing is better for a nursing mama then a little indulgent pot pie. Of course, I doubled the recipe so we'll be having ours on Tuesday. This recipe is also from her cookbook.

Wednesday- Sesame Beef with Rice
We had fondue for Christmas Eve and the freezer still contains some of the unused steak so we'll use it up with this Martha recipe from our favorite Everyday Foods.

Thursday- Chipotle Pinto Beans with Cornbread
I'm a sucker for a good pot of beans. Problem is, Adrian has never been a big fan claiming they are too bland for his tastes. So, I'm trying a different recipe from my other favorite cookbook Simply in Season with a little more spiciness. Hope he likes it.   Plus, it's a good excuse to again use my cast iron skillet my parents got me for Christmas to make skillet cornbread.
 
Friday- Frozen Soup
I stashed away quite a few soups this Fall. We're gonna play Eenie Meanie Miney Mo and pick one. I love easy.
 
Last week, we tried quite a few new recipes and discovered some new favorites. The one I'm already making again is another Everyday Food recipe. Chicken and Spinach Casserole from the October 2010 issue is a fast and easy dish that uses leftover chicken from a batch you made or the rotisserie chicken you picked up at the store. Today, I'm making a double batch, one for us and one for Amy.




That's what we're eating. What's on your table? Any old favorites? How about new ones?


7 comments:

Mom said...

Last week I made PW Tortilla Soup...it was wonderful. Dad ate two bowls full the first night and then later in the week he finished it off!

Tonight we will be having Denver sandwiches......using the leftover chopped peppers and onion along with crumbled bacon.

Chimpsea said...

Our new favorite is Lighter General Tso's Chicken from Everyday Food. It is beyond delicious and will be replacing our previous favorite of Spicy Orange Chicken (also from Martha). We tend to lean towards Chinese/Indian quite a bit around here. Tonight we had curried shrimp and potatoes.

Heidi said...

Sounds yummy! A couple of those Everyday Food recipes caught my eye in the magazine but I have yet to try them. PW's pot pie is on my list as well. It seems to always have the best intentions with new recipes but tend to fall into the rut of our staples.

At our house this week...I baked a turkey today so we'll have a fair amount of leftovers. Other plans include swedith meatballs, chicken w/ pineapple rice, polish sausage w/ sauerkraut and frozen pizza (for the boys - I have a GNO Tuesday. Yay!)

Heidi said...

Eeek...major typo's in that last comment. Must be bed time. :)

Kelly Jernigan said...

I've got nothing planned for this week - normally I would do my planning today, but I was busy. We have stuff to make pork stir fry tomorrow night, and then I might be trying a butternut squash fried dumpling recipe from Food & Wine magazine one night. Sure wish I was eating at your place - it all sounds yummy!!

Anonymous said...

A freezer full of soup...that sounds really wonderful!

corrie said...

Looks like the chicken and spinach casserole might be a good match for my plate full of leftover roasted chicken and my package of hamburger buns now a bit stale in my cupboard.

Abby, have you done the "Artisan Bread in 5" recipe? It's a super easy way to have homemade bread on hand, for just pennies a loaf. The basic recipe has four ingredients: flour, water, salt, and yeast. It makes pretty good bread, and no kneading necessary! I can send you the link if you want it.