Menu For The Week

I must admit that my menu is a goal for me, kinda like my skinny jeans. It's an ideal that I hold up and then shoot for. Sometimes I aim and bulls eye! Sometimes I aim and don't even hit the target. That's ok though, not the end of the world. I like to have a plan in case I need it, and most days I do. It helps me remember to pull meat out of the freezer in the morning instead of force thawing everything at the last minute. It pulls my shopping list together quickly and makes my bill a lot smaller. I do try to use what I've already got and minimal extras. It doesn't always work out. Like sometimes I just have to make that beautiful dinner I saw them make on America's Test Kitchen. Their recipes always turn out exactly wonderful. Or I'll want to try a new technique I saw on some other show...not really. It's usually America's Test Kitchen! We love our Saturday morning PBS! That's what having no paid cable will do to ya. Oh well. Many a memorable Saturday night's dinner came about from a morning of cooking shows. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Anyway, the planning part usually starts with a mental inventory of what is in the fridge. Then I either look up recipes or fish through my magazines and recipe box for the tried and true ones. Sometimes I'm craving something and that'll go on the menu. Once I've got the plan I go look in the refrigerator to see what is actually in there and if there's anything I missed. My grocery list is made from there. Nothing fancy.

So here's this week's menu:
Monday
B - Dr. Oz's Berry Strong Smoothie - I saw him make it last week and am excited to try it!
L - Chickpea Sandwich (We made this last week and it was a little onion-y so this time I'll rinse the onions before they go it. We've seen Rick Bayless do this a lot and it has always worked to take the bite out.) with Veggies and Greek Yogurt Dip
D - Roasted Cauliflower and Leek Soup, (I didn't make it this weekend) Mediterranean Vegetable Penne (from an old Clean Eating Magazine. They've got lots of recipes on their site, but not this one. They also have clean meal plans with shopping lists if you're looking for help in that area.)

Tuesday
B - Oatmeal with Bananas, Honey, & Almonds
L - Turkey Chili (left over from last week)
D - Black Bean Chicken

Wednesday
B - Smoothie
L - Salad & Roasted Cauliflower Soup
D - Grilled Shrimp with Veggie Stir Fry

Thursday
B - Toast with Peanut Butter & Bananas
L - Left over Chicken Succotash & Sweet Potatoes
D - At my mom's house. Last week we had Turkey Spaghetti. It was awesome!

Friday
B - Pancakes (I will make them this week!)
L - Veggie Fried Rice - This usually consists of day old white rice tossed together with whatever random veggies I've got in the fridge. I'll post pictures and a basic recipe.
D - Steak (Cooked in a cast iron pan it's sooo good! This is all Josh!), Whole Wheat Freezer Rolls, Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Veggies

Saturday
B - Omelettes
L - Left over Penne or Soup
D - Out...or maybe I'll crack open the giant can of Que Bueno I just bought at Costco. They were giving samples. I couldn't help myself.

That about does it. I'm going to track my foods this week and see what I am actually able to stick to. I intended to go mostly veg after the new year, but it is almost February and yesterday our menu consisted of the trifecta: breakfast burritos, pizza for lunch, and burgers for dinner. Not exactly healthy. Definitely not meat free. Here's to a healthier week!