Meal Plan Monday – Sept 17 - 23rd

I know, I know… Long time no post.  I KNOW!  OK!  Gosh….  *blink. blink blink*

I’m really hoping to get back into the habit of posting. I swear I am.  Life is crazy, seems more often than not, now a days – and blogging my grocery plans have just not been very high on my priority list.  HOWEVER…  I need to start blogging them again because, it seems, when I don’t blog them…I am less likely to stick to the plan!

So my menu for this week…

 

MONDAY

• Lasagna
• Salad
• garlic toast

 

TUESDAY

• Baked Honey Mustard Chicken
• Steamed Cauliflower  Carrots in Garlic Butter & Dill Sauce
• Green beans (or salad)
• Rolls

 

WEDNESDAY (Kids Night 1 – Sis Cooks)

• Corn Dogs
• tator chips

 

THURSDAY (Kids Night 2 – Bran Cooks)

• Burgers
• Fries

 

FRIDAY (Mr C’s choice)

• Southern Fried Steak (recipe here)
• homestyle mashed potatoes
• beans
• salad
• cornbread

 

SATURDAY (Lazy Day)

• BLTs

 

SUNDAY

• FEND FOR YOURSELF NIGHT

 

Do you plan your weeks cooking ahead of time?  I do.  On Sunday morning I sit down in my office and I plan out what we are going to eat all week.

Meal planning for me, really, is pretty easy.  My Mr. works a weird shift at work that rotates so he is only home for dinner a few nights per week.  Those nights I try to cook a NICE meal with the trimmings.  I mean, he works hard and he deserves it.

On the nights Mr. C isn’t home, I still cook, but those meals are more KID FRIENDLY.  Anything to lessen the amount of whining I have to listen to – WORKS.  lol…

Once I have my “loose” menu made (because lets be honest here…sometimes I just don’t feel like making what’s on the list!), I head upstairs to check the pantry and fridge and make out my grocery list for the week.

Mr C likes to go shopping at like 3am when there is NO ONE in their right (or wrong) mind at Wal-Mart.  Since he is used to being up all night anyway, and I hate to go to Wal-Mart this works for us.  Plus, he seems to spend a lot less when he goes shopping with my list – than we do when I go shopping with my list. LOL!

So what’s on my menu for this week?

Boston Baked Beans

There is no easier meals than crock pot cooking.   Throw it in the pot in the morning on low and let it cook all day.  No fuss, no rush at the end of the day, and the house always smells delicious!  I love my crockpot, and other then my coffee maker it is the most used item in my kitchen!  Well, after my mixer.  Like I said, I love my crockpot. ~B

These beans are GREAT for Pot Lucks and family get togethers!

• 4 cups navy beans (rinsed and sorted)
• 12 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp dried mustard
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 lb salt pork (cubed) or bacon
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• pinch garlic
• 1 jigger Worcestershire Sauce or Red Wine vinegar

This recipe comes in 2 parts and takes about 18 hours.  I like to start the beans the day before, while Im cleaning up that nights supper dishes.

Step ONE: Cooking the beans.

Rinse the beans and pick out the bad ones.  Place beans, water, onion, pork, and salt in the Crockpot.  Cover and cook on low for about 12-13 hours.

Step TWO:  Making them yummy!

Drain the cooked beans, keeping about 2 cups of the juice.   In a large bowl mix that juice you just saved with all the other ingredients (dried mustard, brown sugar, molasses, ketchup, bell pepper, garlic, and Worcestershire Sauce)  I use a whisk, it incorporates it all better.

Return the beans to the crockpot, and pour the ketchup mixture of them.  Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

If you do like I do and start these after dinner the day before you need them…
the beans will be done around 8-9 am, by the time you add the sauce to make them yummy and that cooks up together, it will be Noonish and done in perfect time to get them to that potluck still warm!

*Im sure you can speed this recipe up by soaking the beans over night and then just cooking it all in one day, but I have never tried it that way.

Enjoy!

Yummy Red Beaners and Rice

• 30 oz can of Red beans (do not drain)
• 1 1/2 cups rice (cooked)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• pinch of cayenne
• pinch of garlic powder

In a saucepan, heat the beans over medium heat.  Add everything except the rice, when it begins to boil start to mash the mix.  (Don’t mash it all though, you want some BEANERS in your rice! ) Cook for about 20-25 minutes until it look like a lumpy beany paste.  Mix in the rice and serve hot.