Menu Planning Monday Oct 24-30

Wowowowowowowowowowowow. I've been a little busy. As in, I think my head might pop off any minute kind of busy. Usually when people say this they are complaining. I am not. I am only being descriptive. The past week has been beyond wonderful. Business is fantastic. In my business, "fantastic" means meeting a lot of wonderful new women who are fun to work with.  That was definitely true this week. I also got to go out of town to the beautiful Pokagon Indiana State Park for a couple of days on a retreat with the women I work with to focus on learning, growth and sisterhood. It was amazing. A. MAZE. ING. I am incredibly blessed to be in the presence of such women of excellence. I can't even describe. Well, I probably can and will but not right now.

But not right now. Because today is Menu Planning Monday, and I haven't even started my menu plan for the week that I usually have all finished up about a whole day before 2:38 on Monday afternoon. I am still going to do a menu plan though because A) I hope someone out there in cyber space is looking forward to seeing my meal plan for the week B)my weeks are chaotic enough without panicking at 4:30 everyday over what's for dinner and C) I am working on learning to being more consistent in all I do.

Since as I said, I don't have a menu plan done already, this is going to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants plan with perhaps more standard family favorites than new recipes. We've all had those weeks, haven't we? So, here it is. Be gentile with me, please.

Day #1: Everything fried rice and shew mai. I know I have some leftover rice in the fridge, some bacon and some snow peas. Other than that, whatever I have that sounds good in fried rice will get tossed in too. Personally, I love a little pineapple in my fried rice. This weekend the in-laws visited and brought some of our favorite Chinese dumplings called shew mai.  They are steamed pork and shrimp dumplings that reheat really well from the freezer in the microwave.  These will go perfectly with the fried rice and be fast and easy enough so that we make it to tonight's skating party on time.

Day #2: Salmon patties and baked potatoes. This is one of my favorite go-to pantry meals. When I need something fast, I can almost always find a can of salmon in the pantry. Baked potatoes are a huge hit with the kids and even thought they take a while to bake, the prep time in minimal. If you need something faster, cut the potatoes into bite-size cubes, toss with a little olive oil and seasoning, turn up the heat and roast them for about 20 minutes.

Day #3: Cheesy chicken pockets. I love these little bundles of leftover chicken and cream cheese wrapped in crescent roll dough. Easy, fast, and decadent.

Day #4: On our movie night this week I am planning to make some homemade pizza rolls from tidymom.com instead of ordering out.

http://tidymom.net/2010/how-to-make-home-made-pizza-rolls/  They look so, so much better than the frozen ones from a box.

Day #5: Spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread. Who doesn't love spaghetti?  Not to mention, it's fast and easy. We will be watching some friends' kids one night this week, and I always try to make something I know everyone will like so this is perfect.

Day #6: We are going to a Halloween party one night this week so I don't have to cook except something to share for the potluck. I'm thinking it will be this yummy looking corn dip from closetcooking.com who got it from foodnetwork.com.


http://closetcooking.com/2008/08/hot-corn-dip.html

Day #7: Can I ask a little favor? Please send positive vibes, prayers, visualizations, whatever it is that you do--to my husband for dinner out one night this week? I could use a night off from dishes and cooking. For real.


I share my menus on Menu Planning Monday at http://orgjunkie.com/.

http://orgjunkie.com