Is it Monday already? This summer is just flying by!
I'm not going to do a full week's planning this week. Part of it is because I'd like a week off, but also because I don't know how many people I will be cooking for this week. I could be cooking for just the 4 of us. Or I could have company and be cooking for 1-2 more people. Or my kids could be going away a few days and I could be cooking for 2 less. I don't know yet, so I'm going to be very flexible for the week.
Sunday: Dinner at my cousin's house (he and his wife made wonderful ribs, they were so good!)
Monday: Make your own pizza. No bbq used this time, but still a family favorite.
Tuesday: Bbq'd chicken, stuffed into corn tortillas with salsa and cheese. (Did I ever mention that my boys got me a tortilla press and tortilla holder for my birthday?)
Wednesday: I'm working, no menu plan.
Thursday: No plan here either.
Friday: Or here.
While it seems I'm taking it totally easy this week, I'm really not. Today found me in my kitchen with 10lbs of fresh ground beef, brought from a local farmer, premaking hamburgers and meatballs for my freezer. Tomorrow the trays I placed in there today, loaded up, will come out and I will make more meal sized portions of those two items.
This kind of batch cooking can be a bit time consuming, depending on what you make, but can really help out in the long run. Take those meatballs. I can come home and throw a bag into a pot with a jar of sauce - instant spaghetti and meatballs! Or spoon them out onto crusty buns and melt a little cheese on them - meatball sub night! And homemade burgers are so much better tasting and healthier than most store bought burgers, having them available and ready to go in the freezer will likely prevent a costly take out night.
I think the next farm order I get, I will try to get some chicken and see about packing them up in pieces, with some marinades. A well stocked freezer is very helpful in menu planning.
Have you submitted your plan for Menu Plan Monday?
