Friday, January 27, 2012

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

January 27, 2012

So are you ready for the challenge of planning your menus for one year? As promised I will try and post my weekly menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks along with some recipes.

Because there are so many recipes that will be involved each week and my time and space are limited I won’t be posting all the recipes for each week. Once a recipe is posted when I use that recipe again later in the year I’ll post the link where it was previously listed. I’ll also go back and add a comment to a previous post if I should add the recipe at a later date.

At all times you can use the search feature at the left (hidden between the photos) and search my blog to see if I forgot to add a link. Hey, I’m human you know.

If you should ever see a meal/snack item mentioned you’d like the recipe for, that isn’t already on the blog, please feel free to contact me.

So on to week one. You will notice that breakfast, lunch and snacks are opportunities, not a set meal. This is because of our varied schedules and tastes in the household. Only dinner is at a set time, 5:30 pm, in this house and has a set menu for certain days (with some flexibility added in)

WEEK 1: BREAKFAST OPPORTUNITIES

French Toast, made from leftover Texas Toast bread from the week before. Used up the remainder of the loaf and cooked it all at once, then refrigerated/froze for a quick grab up meal.

Serve with butter, syrup, jelly, molasses, fruit or other favorite toppings

Hot Cereals available:

Oatmeal, various flavors from homemade packets

Farina

Multi-grain, from homemade packets

Cold Cereals available:

Raisin Bran

Store brand Grape-nuts

Fruit available:

Dried cherries, bulk pack from Sam’s

Grapefruit, fresh bulk purchase

Strawberries, frozen after Wednesday

Beverages:

Grape juice from frozen concentrate

Milk

Water

Hot Tea

Cocoa, master mix

WEEK 1- LUNCH OPPORTUNITIES

SANDWICH MATERIALS AVAILABLE:

PB&J

Toasted cheese

Bologna

SALAD MATERIALS AVAILABLE:

Jarred Spring Mix—vacuumed sealed to keep it fresher

Pickled eggs—homemade

Cheddar cheese—bulk purchase from Sam’s Club

Carrots

Onion

Celery, dried –reconstituted

Frankfurters

SALAD DRESSINGS AVAILABLE:

Ranch, homemade

Italian, homemade

SOUPS AVAILABE:

Tomato—bulk purchase

Beef—homemade and canned

Pinto bean and ham soup after Sunday

FRUIT:

Fruit cups, bulk purchase from Sam’s

Grapefruit

Strawberries—after Wednesday

DINNER MENUS 1/7-1/15/2012

Saturday 1/7/2012

Master Mix meatballs, recipe below

Mashed potatoes, make a double batch to use leftovers later in the week.

Bread machine bread, make a large loaf to use leftover later in the week

Black eyed peas, home canned from dried

Carrot cake, from a mix purchased on sale with a coupon

Tea

Sunday 1/8/2012

Pinto beans and ham, from dried beans and canned Christmas ham

Jalapeno cornbread, uses 1 of the few packages of frozen ground beef

Carrot cake, leftover

Milk

Monday 1/9/2012

Ghengis Grill for Jan’s birthday—a special meal for me! Although my birthday was the 6th ds couldn’t join us until Monday due to his work schedule.

Tuesday 1/10/2012

Smoked roast, leftover from the week before

Corn on the cob, frozen

French Fries, frozen

Black eyed peas, leftover

Garlic bread, made with Sunday’s leftover bread

Carrot Cake, leftover

tea

Wednesday 1/11/2012

Sweet and Sour meatballs, recipe below

Egg rolls, frozen purchased on sale

Fried rice, ham, made with leftover rice from the previous week and Christmas ham that has been canned.

Steamed rice, make a big batch for use in future meals

Tea

Almond cookies with strawberries, homemade cookies and frozen or freeze dried strawberries

Thursday 1/12/2012

BBQ smoked sausage, made with homemade bbq sauce (from last summer) and smoked sausage purchased in bulk and frozen 2 weeks ago. Recipe: http://cjpattersonontheranch.blogspot.com/2009/08/home-again-home-again-jiggity-jig.html

Cole slaw, make double batch for later in the week

Macaroni and cheese, purchased on sale

Pepsi

Lemon Bars, from Master Mixes

Friday, 1/13/2012

Bean burritos, refried beans made from pinto beans earlier in the week.

Mexican rice, use leftover rice from earlier in the week

Guacamole, homemade

Sopapillas, master mix

Tea

Saturday 1/14/2012

BBQ beef sandwiches , use leftover smoked roast and homemade bbq sauce recipe link listed above

Cole slaw, leftover from earlier in the week

Potato salad, made with leftover mashed potatoes

Chocolate chip cookies, from homemade slice and bake cookies

Pepsi

Sunday 1/15/2012

Biscuits, master mix

Gravy, master mix

Fruit cups-bulk purchase

Milk

Juice

SNACKS AVAILABLE FOR WEEK 1

Please limit your snacking

SALTY:

Chips, limited-bulk purchase

Cheezits-bulk purchase

Southern Trail Mix-bulk purchase, leftover from holidays

SWEET:

Carrot Cake

Almond Shortbread cookies after Wednesday

Lemon Bars after Thursday

Chocolate chip cookies after Saturday

FRUIT:

Grapefruit—bulk purchase

Fruit Cups—bulk purchase

Strawberries, frozen after Wednesday

VEGETABLES:

Carrots

So now that you can see what our family basically ate on week #1 of the year of menu planning now how about a recipe or two? The main dinner menu item is the Many Way Meatballs. This is one of our favorite meat Master Mixes. The meatballs can be used so many ways for a variety of meals. They freeze and can wonderfully. Making them a handy “convenience food” for those nights you simply can’t stick to a menu or you need something FAST!

Many Way Meatballs

Servings: 80

4 pounds ground beef

2 whole eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup bread crumbs, dried

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 cups milk

1/4 cup parsley flakes



1. Mix all together well. Form into 1 1/2 inch meatballs. I use a small ice cream/cookie scoop for this. I recommend spraying the scoop with cooking spray before scooping.





2. Place on foil lined and sprayed cookie sheet with sides.



3. Bake at 375 F for 25-30 minutes or until done.



4. Cool and package in one quart containers for freezing or canning. Don’t forget to label and date.



On the night I make these my family likes the meatballs just plain, hot from the oven. In fact I have to watch the guys close or they just might eat far more than they should.

They make their second appearance later in the week as Sweet ‘n Sour Meatballs

Sweet ‘n Sour Meatballs

Servings: 6



Notes: You can vary the veggies to your family's likes. Consider things like snow peas, water chestnuts and other vegetables.



Serving Ideas: Serve over steamed rice and with all the usual sides for an Asian meal.



Categories: Ground Beef

1 tablespoon Vegetable oil

10 ounces Pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3 tablespoons vinegar

6 tablespoons water

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 container Many Way Meatball Mix, about 20 meatballs

1 large green bell pepper

1 whole carrot, sliced

1/2 medium onion, sliced



1. In a large skillet, combine oil and reserved pineapple juice that has had water added to it to equal 1 cup liquid.



2. In a small bowl combine cornstarch and brown sugar. Then stir in soy sauce, vinegar and water. Stir this into the pineapple juice mixture in the skillet. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly, Approximately 5-7 minutesl



2. Add pineapple chunks and remaining ingredients. Mix well. Simmer 20 minutes or until heated through. Stir frequently and add a small amount of water or pineapple juice if needed.



Leftovers from this weeks worth of meal that would then go to food storage would be the remaining meatballs either frozen or canned (add water to the canning jar and then process pints at 15# pressure for 75 minutes or quarts for 90 minutes—please follow all USDA guidelines while canning).



The leftover steamed rice can be dried to make your own “minute rice.” Or refrigerated or frozen to be used in the future for a variety stir fried rice dishes, Mexican Rice, or to be reheated for breakfast and eaten with sugar, milk and butter.



So there you have it week #1 for 2012, and for 2013 because as I have mentioned previously. I am keeping the files I have created for these menus to use in the future. Complete with the full grocery list, so this time next year it will be a matter of point and click.



Jan who hopes this is helpful to someone in OK

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