FamilyFood

Meal Planning Monday (aka Menu Planning Monday)

We moved in to our new house and still haven't done a "real" grocery shop yet.  I need to replace condiments and stuff.  I keep going to the fridge for things like anchovies, capers, and hot sauce only to find there is nothing there.

Maybe I'll get to the store this week.  If so, this is what's in the works:

• Monday—Meatloaf (see recipe below), Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas (not our normal "Mexican Monday" cuz the SuperBowl is the weekend and we're Tex-Mexing it up then)
• Tuesday—Roasted Salmon, Fennel and Chard Gratin
• Wednesday—Sandwich Night (going to Togo's to kill two birds with one stone: dinner and ordering up sandwich platters for our SuperBowl party)
• Thursday—Undecided pending grocery shopping
• Friday—See above
• Saturday—Date night!
• Sunday—Football Party Fare.  Recipes will be posted throughout the week.

What are you cooking this week?  Link me up!

CITYMAMA'S MEATLOAF

Whiz in the Cuisinart:

• 2 scrubbed carrots
• 1 small onion
• 1 large shallot
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 slices of whole grain bread (I use European-style thin whole grain bread so my meatloaf has flecks of flax seeds in it)
• 2 eggs
• 3 fresh marjoram sprigs, leaves only

Combine above mixture with 1 lb each ground lean beef, ground chicken, and ground pork (3 pounds of meat total) seasoned with:

• salt and pepper
• a dash of Worcestershire sauce and
• a splash of red wine or sherry

Spread into a large loaf pan (or two small loaf pans) and top with half a can of tomato soup (or an equivalent amount of tomato sauce or ketchup). Bake for about 1.5 hrs at 325º.

Meal Planning Monday—12/10/06

Here's what's up this week.

Monday—Taco Salad
Tuesday—Bulgogi lettuce wraps, broccoli-sesame salad, steamed brown rice
Wednesday—Spaghetti Aglio-Olio (toasted garlic and olive oil), salad
Thursday—Take out or dinner out
Friday—off to Hawaii until after the New Year!

Monday Meal Planning—11/27/06

It's hard to think about a week's worth of menus after coming off Thanksgiving week and all that encompasses, but here goes.

• Monday—Not Mexican this week, J. wants open-faced turkey sandwiches. To go with: steamed artichokes.
• Tuesday—Leftover Turkey Tetrazzini, roasted Brussels sprouts
• Wednesday—Tomato bruschette, cold-cuts, fruit
• Thursday—Soup made with turkey broth, not sure what kind yet (anything but turkey noodle)
• Friday—Take out or dinner out
• Saturday—Date night
• Sunday—Pasta made with spaghetti and herbs that my sister brought back from Italy (more on this later); green salad dressed with walnut oil and lemon.

Meal planning Monday—11/20/06

This is a crazy week jam-packed with good eats with my family. I won't be doing much cooking but that's fine with me. This week is meant for cherishing your family and (hopefully) relaxing.

• Monday—Butternut Squash-Apple soup, grilled rib-eyes, and wedge salad with blue cheese dressing with my brother and his family
• Tuesday—Dungeness crab dinner with my mom, my brother and his family, and my sister and her friends
• Wednesday—Chinese banquet for 60 people (family and friends) in Chinatown
• Thursday—Thanksgiving
• Friday—light dinner before taking Bunny to a dance performance with my mom
• Saturday and Sunday—Thanksgiving leftovers: sandwiches, jook (Chinese rice porridge)

Hope your Thanksgiving is full of love and happiness!

Meal Planning Monday—11/13/06

• (Mexican) Monday: Chicken Enchilada casserole, sauteed black beans and corn (homemade hot sauce on the side)
• Tuesday: Roasted wild salmon, artichokes with aioli, barley pilaf
• Wednesday (Sandwich night): Grilled Camembert and Pumpkin Butter Sandwiches
• Thursday: Pork loin with pomegranate glaze, roasted brussels sprouts, baked acorn squash
• Friday: "Breakfast for dinner"
• Saturday: Date night! I'm thinking tapas.
• Sunday: Butternut squash and apple soup, crusty bread and Chaubier

Also this week, I'm placing an order for my Thanksgiving turkey. Even though my family (all twenty of us) is going out, I'm still cooking a Thanksgiving dinner at some point that weekend, pretty much just for the leftovers.

I love this time of year!

Meal Planning Monday—11/6/06

Here's what's on deck for the week:

• Monday: Chicken Mole Adobo (I accidentally bought mole adobo instead of the regular mole so we'll see!); rice; orange, red onion, cilantro salad.
• Tuesday: Pork chops, maple roasted acorn squash, corn
• Wednesday (Sandwich night): Grilled American cheese sandwiches and Campbell's tomato soup (made with milk instead of water)
• Thursday: Pan-fried sole, smashed red potatoes with chives and jack cheese, salad
• Friday: Take out or dinner out
• Saturday: Crusty Italian bread, cheeses, and salumi; apples and grapes
• Sunday: Sweet and sour sausage, sweet potato, and savoy cabbage soup

Meal planning Monday for 10/30/06

Inspired by what I've seen at other food sites, I thought I'd share what I'm cooking for dinner this week.

I am a meal planner. I find it helps keep me focus, organized, and sane when I think about meal prep for the week. It also ensures that I stick to my grocery list.

To get my inspiration for my weekly menus I often ask friends what they are cooking, peruse food and/or mom blogs (since moms are in the same boat as I am), or flip through cookbooks and magazines. Then I cobble together a list of what sounds good and that's my menu for the week.

Some things don't change. We tend to do either sandwiches or "breakfast for dinner" one night a week, usually the night that I have my night off with the girls. During the summer we usually have a big salad for dinner on Sunday night.  During winter Sunday night dinner turns to heartier fare like stews or braises. For our date night we order pizza for the girls.  And, of course, we've talked recently about our "Mexican Mondays."

This week we had Mexican Monday for Sunday night dinner with friends.  I made  Chile Verde Chicken Enchilada casserole and sauteed sweet corn and black beans. S. brought margarita fixins' and a corn and jalapeno jack cheese risotto that was luscious. (I will get the recipe and post), and SuperGena brought garlicky guacamole, chips, and salsa.

Here's what's on deck for the rest of the week:

• Monday: Frittata sandwiches and green salad
• Tuesday: Halloween (I haven't figured this out yet.)
• Wednesday: Sandwich night (I bought some lovely Molinari fennel salami for this)
• Thursday: Spaghetti with tomato-butter sauce
• Friday: Family dinner out (or take out)
• Saturday: Our date night, pizza night
• Sunday: White bean stew au pistou (pesto)

If you have a blog and you share weekly recipes, please let me know by leaving a comment.  I'd love to check it out.