HELLO Summer!

It may not officially be summer until next month, but don't tell that to my garden!  So many lovely things are coming from it and I thought I'd share some of the staples we'll be making in the months ahead.

SALSA VERDE

I'm so excited to say that 100% of this salsa came from my garden!  Now there is no formal recipe, just let your heart tell you what you need...

In a large (I have a 14 inch) sized dry, very hot, cast iron skillet.  To half (or more) of the pan, add ripe and washed tomatillos.  To the other half add peppers, onion, and garlic.  Blister all of your ingredients and then transfer them to a food processor with a handful of cilantro, salt to taste, and ground cumin.  

Process until smooth.

This sauce is great on everything!  I especially love to cook it low and slow with a pork roast for my own spin on Chili Verde.

Next is just my favorite way to eat summer produce from the garden:

PICO DE GALLO

It's seriously just summer time in a bowl for me!

Again, no specific recipe...

Mix together chopped and seeded tomato, chopped peppers and red onion, a handful of chopped cilantro, and season with powdered or fresh garlic and sea salt.

Now with all this lovely food, you're going to need something to drink:

BASIL LEMONADE

This drink is so refreshing and basil has many health benefits!  I just take a quart sized mason jar and add a handful of chopped and muddled basil to the bottom.  Top with ice and then pour over your favorite lemonade.  I use ICE - a bottled sugar free version that's a little fizzy.  In the evenings, I'll add a shot of Tito's Handmade Vodka.  Put the lid on and give it a shake.

So if you're looking for me this summer, I'll be out in the garden...

Or passed out on the couch from one too many basil lemonades!

Aldi's to the rescue!

January is always a hard month for us financially.  We are still reeling from the post Christmas expenditures and can never seem to get ahead until mid February.  One of the easiest ways to pinch pennies is in our food budget ('cause there's no way I'm cutting out my internet and cable!).  I have found that shopping at Aldi's is so much better than trying to use coupons or shopping at the big box stores.

You really can't beat $1.89/gallon organic milk and .99 eggs!

Aldi's is no frills, but that doesn't mean they skimp on quality.  So far, everything I've purchased from them has been as good as name brand or better.  They have a large selection of organic, gluten free, and grass fed beef products that you won't pay an arm and a leg for, but there are a few things you need to know before making your first trip:

Bring a quarter. You are going to need a quarter to get your cart. The quarter is returned to you when you return the cart. You do the cart returning so they don’t have to pay someone to do it, and those savings are passed on to you! If you are one who likes to practice random acts of kindness leave your quarter for the next person.

Bring a bag. Save some green and go green at the same time. Bring a reusable bag (or two!) with you. ALDI does not hide the cost of bags in their grocery prices.You can bring your own bags to shop at ALDI, or buy their eco, paper, plastic, or insulated bags for a very nominal charge. But if you happen to forget your bags in the car (like I do from time to time) don’t worry! They have very low-priced bags you can purchase at check-out (.10 each).

Pack it yourself. Here is something you may not find at your grocery store. There is no one to pack up your purchases. The check-out clerk will put your groceries in a cart for you but it is up to you to take your purchases to the packing counter and pack them up. By not having to pay a bagger they are passing those savings on to you! I don’t know about you, but I am willing to pack my groceries to save some green!

No credit cards. That is right! No credit cards are accepted at ALDI. (But your debit card and cash are always welcome!) Once again, this saves on credit card processing fees and ALDI is able to pass the savings onto you.

No Fancy Shelves. ALDI products are not placed individually on the shelf. Instead, the products are left in their cartons and placed directly on the shelf. This is yet another way ALDI saves on overhead costs. I don’t know about you, but I will take savings over individually placed items!

So this week, money is tight!  Sunday night I sat down to plan out our menus for the week.  Check out Aldi's weekly flier for specials and try to plan around them.  Meal planning is imperative to saving money, do NOT stray from your list!

Here's what we're having:

BREAKFASTS

Oatmeal

Poached eggs on toast

Smoothies 

(Still have left over bananas and frozen berries from Costco!)

Cereal bars

LUNCHES

Ham and cheese sandwiches, chips

PBJ sandwiches, chips

Take and Bake pizzas ($4.47 for a large pepperoni)

Leftovers

SNACKS

Roasted almonds

Apples

Kefir

Chips and salsa

Veggie straws

Popcorn
Kale chips (from the garden)

DINNERS

Spaghetti with meatsauce, garlic bread

Spinach fritatta with salsa

Shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches with corn on the cob

Baked ziti with roasted kale (from the garden)

Stuffed peppers with spinach salad

Chicken fajitas with refried beans

Meatball subs and kettle chips

All of THIS:

For a grand total of THIS:

Bento love

I've been working a slew of night shifts lately and needed a little 'pick-me-up' for that final one, so I made a bento. I'm also taking a pretty tea cup and some green tea with honey for tea time (at 4 a.m.!). It's simple and pretty and will be a welcomed break in those loooong 12 hours between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.!

Meal Plan Monday

I have my four day (12-hr shifts) work week and Doug has a week FULL of editing shoots from the previous weeks. Meal prep is the last thing on our minds! I've got some quick fix/low prep meals planned so that we can slow down at the end of the day and enjoy each others company as a family...

Monday: Tortilla Soup. All the ingredients will go into the crock pot before I leave for work to simmer all day. Prior to serving, all Doug has to do is shred a little pepper jack cheese and open a bag of tortilla chips.

Tuesday: Amish Breakfast Casserole. I'll fry up the onion and bacon Monday night and then assemble this casserole before going to work. I also think I'll tweak it a bit by adding half cheddar/half swiss and adding some peppers from the garden. Doug can just pop it in the oven before I get home. Serve with fruit.

Wednesday: Classic Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes. Everything gets seasoned with garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper and then into the crock pot! Man, the house is going to smell soooo good by dinner time!

Thursday: 15 Bean Soup. Another great crock pot meal! Will have Kyle make some artisan bread to go with this one.

Friday: Rich Pasta for the Poor Kitchen. A very easy pasta dish that I'll tweak by adding some fresh spinach.

Saturday: Doug and I are going to the Foundation for Life gala in Houston. Kids are getting pizza ordered and going to the grandparents.

Sunday: Something on the grill....get your thinking cap on Doug, mama ain't cooking tonight!

Meal Plan Monday

Just a three day work week this week! Although it's a light week for me, Doug will be pretty busy so I put together some easy meals that take little prep from him. We ate out a bit too much last week and I am ready to get back to home cooked meals!

Monday: Salsa verde chicken enchiladas. I will assemble these on Sunday night so that all Doug has to do is pop them in the oven just before meal time. Serve with black beans from the freezer.

Tuesday: Chili. I made a batch of this last week and the kids devoured it! Will toss all the ingredients into the crock pot before heading out the door for work. Kyle can whip up some jalapeno cornbread muffins to go with it.

Wednesday: Pulled pork sandwiches. A nice big pork butt goes in the crock before I go to work. Will season with salt, pepper, lots of garlic powder, liquid smoke, and Jack Daniel's honey BBQ sauce. Just shred before serving!

Thursday: Spinach quiche. Farm fresh eggs make this dish sooo goood! Will serve with homemade biscuits and fig preserves.

Friday: Salmon burgers. Using the same basic recipe for salmon croquettes, these will make nice burgers topped with fresh veggies and a sour cream dill sauce. Served with fresh fruit.

Saturday: Baked potato bar with leftovers. Baked potatoes will be delicious topped with chili or pulled pork from earlier in the week!

Sunday: French onion soup with fresh bread. Will put the soup together in the crock pot before going to church and mix up some artisan bread dough when we get home. This will be so good to wake up to after a loooong Sunday afternoon nap!

What's for dinner?

I got up early this morning and started planning out my day. When I was pondering what to make for dinner (that's what I get for not menu planning this week!) I couldn't think of anything that sounded good. Thinking I would put it off until later, I went to check on our garden.

Looks like our gracious Lord planned our meal for us!

We'll be having stuffed peppers, roasted eggplant, and lima beans!

Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Menu Plan Monday

There it is - dinner.
Everything for our meal plan this week is coming out of the freezer.
I had a particularly unproductive weekend and an extremely busy week coming up, so this is the best I can manage in a pinch.

Monday: Spaghetti squash and homemade tomato sauce. Thank the Lord for the good crop this summer. It has saved my behind more than once for meal time! Will have Kyle make up some artisan bread to go with this.

Tuesday: Grilled steaks and Doug's delicious Jack Daniel baked beans. We got a deal on some steaks and they've been sitting in the freezer so we'll use them up this week. Doug made a double batch of beans some time ago and I'm thankful I put them in the freezer instead of the fridge!

Wednesday: Tortillas with black beans and pico de gallo. Kyle can make some of my whole wheat tortillas to go with a freezer pack of black beans. Doug can whip up some fresh pico and maybe we'll top it all with a little queso fresco.

Thursday: Tortilla soup. Will use some homemade frozen salsa, organic chicken stock, and leftover black beans and other frozen veggies for a crock pot soup.

Friday: Dinning out!

Saturday: Homemade pizza with eggplant and peppers from the garden.

Sunday: Breakfast for dinner. Scrambled yard eggs, homemade biscuits with fig preserves, and bacon. YUM!

Menu Plan Monday

Busy weekend for me. Spent sometime in Houston sitting with my sister at the hospital, rushed to get laundry and household chores done, dealing with kiddo drama...but I DID manage to get my meal planning and grocery shopping for this week done!
On the menu are easy prep meals for the days that I work and then I hope to cook some extra meals to stock Sonya's freezer with for when she comes home. A busy week ahead, that's for sure!

Monday: Turkey and dressing. Will put a large turkey breast (you can get them for a really great price "off-season") in the crock to cook all day. Will make a pan of cornbread dressing Sunday night so that all Doug has to do is pop it in the oven right before dinner. The turkey makes it's own gravy, it will be a little taste of Thanksgiving a few months early! Will make an extra pan of chicken dressing for the freezer for Sonya & Mason.

Tuesday: Enchilada casserole. Will fry up a pound of ground beef Monday night and assemble this easy dish before going to work the next morning. Doug can pop it in the oven about an hour before dinner. Will serve with chips and homemade salsa from the freezer.

Wednesday: Turkey pannini and fruit. Will use leftover turkey meat from Monday to make turkey/spinach/tomato/swiss pressed sandwiches. Will use lots and lots of our hot pepper butter on them! Serve with fresh fruit.

Thursday: Pasta primavera. Whole wheat bow tie pasta tossed with a homemade alfredo sauce and fresh veggies (zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, red pepper, and julienne carrots). Will make a double batch and freeze half for a meal for Sonya & Mason.

Friday: Minestrone soup. Will serve this comforting, vegetarian meal with whole wheat artisan bread. A double batch will go into the crock and half will be frozen for Sonya & Mason.

Saturday: Chicken and vegetable kabobs over brown rice. Doug is really loving his new grill and what could be easier than kabobs? The kids will have fun making these!

Sunday: DINNING OUT! Just typing all of this is making me tired and a night off from cooking will be well deserved by all!

In addition to the three meals from our own menu, I'll be making two more soups for the freezer for Sonya (easily simmered in the crock pot while I'm at work) and maybe a vegetable dish or two. Sonya's stomach was greatly insulted during a routine medical procedure and she has a long haul ahead for recovery. All of my meals for her are going to be made with bone broths and organic vegetables. I'm also sending her some kefir, kombucha, and lactofermented vegetables in an attempt to help her regain the healthy flora in her gut which will, in turn, help the rest of her body to heal. I ask for continued prayers for her and her family.

Menu Plan Monday

Good thing I didn't do too much planning last week! It would have all gone to hell in a handbasket anyway due to our medical emergency. This week I am back on track with easy make ahead meals that require little prep work for me, and even less for Doug (who's home with the kids all day AND running a business!). This week is my short week, just three 12-hour shifts!

Monday: Beef Stroganoff. I will throw all of this into the crockpot before going to work to cook low and slow all day. No "cream of crap" soup for us, just organic stock, raw cream, and flour. Will also substitute fresh mushrooms. Just before dinner, Doug can mix in the sour cream and boil some egg noodles. Will serve with green beans from our summer garden.

Tuesday: Roasted Chicken. I will clean and season two whole roasters before going to work so that all Doug has to do is pop them in the oven about an hour before dinner. Will serve with wild rice cooked in organic stock.

Wednesday: Taco night! Will cook grass fed beef, season it, and store in the freezer during the weekend as well as prepare the soft wraps. All Doug has to do is heat up and serve with fixings.

Thursday: Chicken Caesar Wraps. Will use left over chicken from Tuesday and make some homemade spinach wraps. Serve with fresh fruit.

Friday: Veggie Pizza. Homemade dough topped with thinly sliced zucchini, pepperochini, and mozzarella cheese.

Saturday: From the grill. Doug will surely want to get his grill on by the weekend...I'm happy to let him do it! Will probably pre-cook some meats and veggies for next week's plan.

Sunday: Spinach Quiche and fresh fruit.

Menu Plan Monday

My weekend went waaaayyy too fast! I haven't done any shoppin or planning for this week's meals! I'm so thankful for the summer harvest in our freezer. This week's meals are all about using up freezer and pantry surplus!

Monday: Spaghetti squash with homemade tomato sauce and artisan bread. I'll just put out the freezer packs of squash and sauce to defrost, and make a quick batch of artisan bread for the fridge before going to work. Doug can heat all of this up with a little parm. cheese and pull off a hunk of dough for bread about an hour before I get home!

Tuesday: Roasted chicken and wild rice. I buy whole roaster chickens when on sale and put them in the freezer. I'll season two of them before heading out to work and Doug can pop them in the oven during the day. I have some packages of wild rice (also on sale) in the pantry that we'll cook up with some organic chicken stock.

Wednesday: Black eyed peas and corn bread. I ALWAYS have a surplus of dried beans on hand! I'll soak these the night before and put them in the crock pot with a ham hock from the freezer.

Thursday: Breakfast for dinner. We have too many eggs in the fridge that need to be used up! I'll scramble them up and make some fluffy homemade biscuits and serve with homemade fig preserves.

Friday: Split pea soup. Again, lots of dried beans and peas in the pantry! I have a nice pack of split peas that can cook in the crock all day long. Will serve with artisan bread and butter.

Saturday: I think we'll order pizza and rent a movie for the kids and Doug and I will go on a date! It will be a busy week and we deserve a little time for just us!

Sunday: Baked potato bar. I have some large baking potatoes in the pantry that need to be used up. Will top with butter, cheese, and keifer sour cream...and whatever else we can find in the fridge!

You know, looking back over this I realize that I won't have to do any shopping this week! It pays to stock up when you find sales!

Meal Plan Monday

My 'make-ahead' meal planning is really working for our family!
It has been a real help to Doug who is home with the kids all day (AND trying to run a full time business)! It's so nice not to have to worry about what's for dinner. Plus, after a long day at the hospital, it is VERY nice to be able to come home and eat a hot meal with the family...and left overs make for great lunches the next day!

Monday: Cabbage Rolls. I'll make these up Sunday night before going to bed and put them in the crock pot. All Doug has to do is put them on to cook that morning when he gets up...and maybe make a salad to go with it!

Tuesday: Spinach Lasagna. This is a very easy make ahead dish when using the no-cook noodles. I'll assemble this before going to work and Doug can pop it in the oven about an hour before I get home.

Wednesday: Shredded BBQ Pork Sandwiches. A pork roast will go into the crock pot with a bottle of really good sauce to cook low and slow all day long! Will serve with a little pasta salad.

Thursday: Chicken Fajitas. Meat for this meal was cooked on Saturday so all Doug has to do is heat and serve with all the fixings.

Friday: DINNER OUT!

Saturday: Homemade Pizza. Doug has a wedding to shoot so it will be just me and the kids. They love making their own individual pizzas using artisan bread.

Sunday: Baked Ziti and Homemade Garlic Bread. Will use some homemade sauce from the freezer for this quick dish.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Roasted or grilled chicken and couscous. This was omitted last week! Saturday was Ryan's birthday and I forgot about it when making our meal plan. I'll season and cover the chickens the night before and Doug can cook them just before dinner time. He'll also cook the couscous in organic chicken broth (so simple and only takes five minutes!)

Tuesday: BBQ chicken pizza. Will use leftover chicken from Monday for this quick meal. I'll make a batch of artisan bread before going to work that morning (takes less than five minutes!) and put it in the fridge to rise all day. Dough can be flattened with fingertips on lightly oiled parchment and baked at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Wednesday: Slow cooker pepper steak. Fresh garden peppers will go into this dish! No need to sear meat, just pop it all into the crock and cook all day. Will serve over brown rice or egg noodles.

Thursday: Southwestern spaghetti squash. Will use a pack of spag. squash from the freezer, we've got LOTS to use up!

Friday: Dinner out! After a long, hard work week I think we could use a family dinner night out.

Saturday: Grill-A-Palooza! Will buy several grass fed/free range meats to grill and eat over the next few days. This will be a REAL time saver in preparing meals next week! What we don't eat in the next day or three will go into the freezer for later use.

Sunday: Slow cooker taco soup. Leftovers will be my lunches for next week.

Back to planning

I took the summer off of menu planning so we could eat what the garden gives us each day. The garden is almost spent and since I'm back to working full time, it's just not practical anymore. So I'm back to planning our meals for the week. Since I'm off for three day weekends, I'll get my planning and shopping done on Fridays. I'll put several 'make ahead meals' in the freezer on Saturdays so we'll be set for the week...well, that's my plan anyway!

I'm most definitely a planner and scheduler, it's just the way my brain works, so this fits into my routine pretty well. Plus, planning makes me feel like I still have a little bit of control over the household when I'm away. It definitely saves us money and helps Doug out tremendously. He's trying to run a full time business from home AND take care of kids and household!

Here's what I have in store for this week's meals:

Monday: Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Will make this Sunday night so Doug can pop it in the oven Monday evening.

Tuesday: Spaghetti squash with homemade sauce. This was made for the freezer weeks ago when we were harvesting so much spaghetti squash and tomatoes! I'll set the freezer bags out to defrost before going to work and Doug can heat them in the oven at dinner time.

Wednesday: IT'S KYLE'S BIRTHDAY! We'll have a picnic lunch on the beach that day and then take our boy out to dinner at his favorite restaurant that night. Plus, I'm off this day so it will be a real treat!

Thursday: Taco Night! I'll precook two pounds of grass fed beef and season it for the freezer along with some soft bread wraps on Saturday. Doug just has to warm it all up and serve with fixings.

Friday: Homemade mac & cheese. I'll be off on Friday and will cook this from scratch. I'll make a double batch so one can go to the freezer for a lunch or meal next week.

Saturday: Roasted chicken and wild rice. Leftovers will go towards chicken salad for my lunches next week.

Sunday: 15 Bean soup with corn bread. Leftovers will also be for my lunches next week.

....and yes, I can eat chicken salad and soup everyday for lunch!
I love the stuff!

I came across a great little blog last week that give tons of ideas for make ahead meals, check it out: 100 Make-Ahead Meals

(No more) Menu Plan Monday

You read it right! This perpetual list maker, uber-planner, and infinite scheduler is ditching her weekly meal plan ritual. The garden is finally beginning to produce and we'll leave to chance as to what we eat each day. I figure at the beginning of each week we will grill or roast a bit of meat to enjoy over the week, make a double batch of Artisan Bread to keep on hand, and then eat whatever the garden gives us that day.
It's quick, simple, healthy, and best of all - it's cheap!
It's also quite liberating not to have to plan, cook, and shop so diligently - maybe we'll have more time to dig our toes into the sand at the beach!

Menu Plan Monday

I'm really digging the idea of "cooking once and eating twice." It makes busy weeknights so much easier and is a great help to the budget!
Here's my feeble attempt at it again this week!

Monday: Tacos on homemade whole wheat tortillas. Will make a double batch of ground taco meat. Also, a double recipe of tortillas will go towards lunches this week.
Here's a tip: Use 1 TBS. chili powder, 2 tsp. ground cumin, 1 tsp. dried oregano per pound of meat for a great taco seasoning...much better for you than the packaged stuff-NO MSG!

Tuesday: Turkey breast in the crockpot with roasted veggies.

Wednesday: Mexican stuffed peppers and garden salad. Extra taco meat from Monday will be mixed with fresh corn, black beans, salsa, cilantro, and topped with queso fresco. It will all go into the crock to cook slowly and it will be ready when we are.

Thursday: Turkey panninis and fresh fruit. Left over turkey breast from Tuesday, swiss cheese, tomato and homemade sprouted wheat bread for our sammies!

Friday: Easy spinach quiche using fresh yard eggs. Served with fruit left over from Thurs.

Saturday: Homemade pizza using my artisan bread in five minutes a day sponge. Literally I can take out some dough, flatten it out, top it and have it on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Sunday: Breakfast for dinner using more yard eggs.

Menu Plan Monday

This week I thought it would be fun to do some double duty meals. That means cooking one night to have enough food for two dinners...we'll see if it saves time in the long run! I'm also mixing up a double batch of 5 minute artisan bread for the fridge to use with meals all week long.

Monday: Shredded bbq pork sandwiches served with roasted cauliflower. We had roasted pork loin Sunday night and it made enough for two meals. I'll just heat it up, shred it and pour on the sauce!

Tuesday: Meatloaf with salad. Will make a double batch of meatloaf and serve one, the other one will be used on Thursday's meal.

Wednesday: Roasted chicken and vegetables. Will use chicken carcass and left over veggies to make a delicious stock for Friday's meal.

Thursday: Stuffed peppers in the crockpot. Will grind up the meatloaf from Tuesday and combine with brown rice and tomato sauce. Stuffed bell peppers will go into the crock and simmer all afternoon.

Friday: Matzo ball soup made with delicious bone broth from Wednesday.

Saturday: Homemade pizza using 5 minute artisan bread for the crusts.

Sunday: What ever Doug decides to grill!

Menu Plan Monday

This is a week of simple, frugal meals while I'm (not so) patiently waiting for my garden to come in! I'm also LOVING having the "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" sponge sitting in my fridge for quick and fresh homemade bread with our meals.

Monday: Grilled vegetable quesadillas on homemade sprouted wheat tortillas served with black beans. It's game night, we need portable food!

Tuesday: Twice baked potatoes and salad served with artisan bread.

Wednesday: Crock pot taco soup.

Thursday: Grilled pizza using artisan bread for the crusts.

Friday: Spinach fritatta and fruit salad. Made with yard eggs from a local farm!

Saturday: Homemade mac & cheese.

Sunday: Crock pot roast (organic/grass fed) and baby carrots served with artisan bread.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Three cheese lasagne and garlic bread.

Tuesday: French onion soup (ala Pioneer Woman)

Wednesday: Vegetable quesadillas on homemade sprouted wheat tortillas.

Thursday: Spicy shredded chicken tacos.

Friday: Fish & shrimp fry at our parish.

Saturday: Pasta carbonara.

Sunday: Breakfast for dinner.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Taco salad. Gotta use up salad greens from our garden this week!

Tuesday: Quick gnocchi. Will mix chopped spinach and parm cheese into the dough and serve with homemade tomato sauce and salad.

Wednesday: Chicken club wraps on homemade sprouted wheat tortillas served with fresh fruit.

Thursday: Burgers on the grill served with a cucumber salad.

Friday: Pancakes with real maple syrup and fresh fruit.

Saturday: Vegetable-egg fritatta and homemade biscuits.

Sunday: Pasta with butter and fresh grated parm cheese. Served with salad.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Roasted chicken and vegetables. Will roast everything early in the day so we can eat as soon as ball practice is over.

Tuesday: Classic meatloaf. Made with grass fed beef with pureed vegetables snuck in so JP won't notice! I'll assemble this in the morning so it will be ready to pop in the oven right before meal time.

Wednesday: Kale and white bean soup. Will use the bones from Monday's meal to make the stock for this soup. Easily adapted to the crock pot - put in kale 15 minutes before serving.

Thursday: Baked potato bar.

Friday: Baked mac & cheese. Will make this earlier in the week and freeze it. Will pull it out to defrost before going to work and Doug can just pop it in the oven.

Saturday: Fish tacos with homemade sprouted wheat tortillas and pico de gallo.

Sunday: Herb baked eggs and homemade biscuts.

For hundreds of other great meal plans, check out www.orgjunkie.com