Jen's Mental Scribblings

Saturday: Pasta with Red Sauce and Spinach
Sunday: Avegolemono
Monday: Crock Pot Pizza Soup (365 I've ordered the cookbook, I can't wait to get it!)
Tuesday: Tuna Noodle Cassarole
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Pizza


Things might get shifted around.

Saturday (Guests!) Pasta with Red Sauce, Salad, bread and dessert
Sunday: Chili
Monday: Chicken Burrito Bowls
Tuesday Leftovers
Wednesday: Roast Beef and Trimmings
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday Pizza and Salad

Monday: Pasta with red sauce and spinach
Tuesday: Left over BBQ pork loin, potato salad, coleslaw
Wednesday: Mixed grill (hot dogs, bratwurst, egg plant) green salad
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Pizza and salad picnic at Morning Glory
Saturday: Something with chicken. =)

Breakfast: Rotation stands (I made up a rotation a couple of weeks back and its actually worked out pretty well. We don't always follow it, but we are eating different things now.)

I'm going to try and add Breakfasts to my plan since its really the only meal of the day that all 6 of us are available to eat a meal together.

Sunday:
Breakfast: Eggs and Sausage
Dinner: Steak Dinner Salad
Monday:
Breakfast: Waffles
Dinner: Chicken Stir Fry with Rice
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Yogurt and Fruit
Dinner: Palak Panner with Rice
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Scones and Eggs
Dinner: Gileshe with Rice
Thursday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Fruit
Dinner: Leftovers
Friday:
Breakfast: Pancakes
Dinner: Pizza and Salad
Saturday
Breakfast: Bagels with Cream Cheese
Dinner Leftovers

I realized I haven't been keeping this up.

Sunday: Pesto Pasta with Chicken and Greens
Monday: Crock Pot Chili Verde
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Pepper Rice
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: Split Pea Soup with Ham

On a food note, the CSA starts up again on the 2nd. Woot!

Just in case I lose my papers, I'll remember what in the hell I came up with.

Number of people confirmed: 13 (including my kids)
Number of maybe people: 3

Appetizers
Chips and Dip
Crudite
Cheese & Cracker plate (featuring Joe's Mom's Ham Roll)
Salt and Pepper Cashews
Other nuts

Dinner
Meat (I haven't decided what to make yet. Will depend upon number of people. I think its at too many people for just a Standing Rib Roast)
Mash potatoes and gravy
Spicy Sweet Potato and Bacon Casserole (Cooks Country, 109) (This sounded too good. Must try it. It has bacon...how bad can it be?)
Waldorf Salad (Cook's Country, 33) (can be doubled or tripled)
Green Bean Casserole (Cook Country, 86)
Garlicky Greens
Rolls
If more people RSVP, I'll add more veges.

Dessert
Homemade (and kid decorated as appropriate) cookies
Candy (Homemade and commercial)
Homemade Pie (?)
Ice Cream
Cranberry Apple Crisp? (depends on the number of people I think) (Cook's Country, 554)
Indian Pudding? (Haven't done that in a long time...good stuff, and crock pot-able)

Now that we are no longer receiving boxes from Live Earth, I'm thinking it might behoove me to start thinking waaaay ahead for menus. I have what seems like an amazing amount of food stuffed into my freezer, and I want to actually use it (what a concept huh?). I have an inventory on the outside of the freezer. I want to eat as much as possible out of the freezer for the next couple of months, for a couple of reasons. First, if I eat food I've already paid for, I'll reduce my grocery bill (This week's grocery bill really reflected a HUGE difference). Second, I need to make room for all the stuff that will start rolling in next spring. If I don't eat what's in there, I won't have room for new stuff.

I don't know if I want to do a whole month (or heck, just the rest of the month) but it might help a lot if I come up with 30 (or so) dinner ideas, based on what I have socked away and then plan weekly menus accordingly.

EDIT
Okay so I went through my inventory sheets and came up with this list. Its almost 30 items long and its a good start and should put a big dent into my freezer. If I want to put in a bigger dent, I should plan some desserts too. I've got LOTS of frozen fruit too. I may add that later.

( Cut for length )

Edit # 2: Desserts

( The dessert list )

Gluten Free of course!

Dinner
Roasted Turkey
Crockpot Mashed Potatoes* (365)
Turkey Gravy
Crockpot Dressing* (365)
Sweet Potato Cassarole* (ATK)
Best Brussel Sprouts* (Serve at Room Temp) (LEA)
Roasted Butternut Squash* (ATK)
Garlicky Sauteed Mixed Greens (Chard & Kale)
Homemade Cranberry Sauce*
Dinner Rolls (GF and Normal)

Dessert
Pumpkin Pie (Moms)
Apple Pie (Moms)
Rice Crispy Treats*
Brownies*
Ice Cream

appetizers
chips and salsa
dip chips and onion dip
crudite
chex mix
crab dip
salt and pepper cashews

*Denotes things I can make ahead of time

Anybody got a BIG (5 qt or bigger) crockpot I can borrow for the holiday? I know they are cheap, but I don't want to buy another...borrowing is a better plan, I think. I don't have to store it year round then!

I think this should use up quite a bit of the veges I got in the box today...yea!

Oh. BTW. If you can read this...you are invited to come of course. I aim to serve dinner at 2. I'll open the door at 10, if you show up before that...I'll put you to work. Shoot me an email if you need to know where we are.

Sunday: Steak and Salad
Monday: Palak Paneer, Chicken Tikka Masala, and Rice
Tuesday: Minestrone Soup
Wednesday: Chicken and Peanut stew
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: Turkey bits of some sort...I need the drippings for Thanksgiving.

Monday: Chicken Tortilla Soup ( I managed to slip in some very finely sliced chard in it and the kids still ate it. Yes!)
Tuesday: Baked Potato Bar
Wednesday: Pork and Veggie Stirfry
Thursday: Beef Stew
Friday: Pizza!
Saturday: Not sure yet, leaning towards chicken enchiladas. May do something more kid friendly as its date night! Woot!