Menu Planning Monday

When menu planning today, I decided to look back at the menu posts I was doing last fall, and found it super helpful in planning what we're eating this week. So, I decided I should probably start doing these again. In reading other blogs, it sounds like menu planning on the weekend isn't as common of an occurance as I have always thought. Growing up, we always planning the menu on the weekend and I've continued that into college and adult life. Apparently it's one of the things that is supposed to save you money at the store, since you do less impulse buying, but it does just make life easier.

So, here's our plan for the week!

Sunday - Rosemary Chicken, with roasted balsalmic onions and carrots and two potato gratin

This is a pretty easy sounding recipe from my WW cookbook. You simply cook onions (in wedges) in some oil in a skillet, and then add 1/4 cup balsalmic, 2 T honey, and 2 t Worcestershire sauce and cook for about five minutes. I'm thinking I might instead, start the onions and carrots on the stove, but then  just roast them in the oven, to make it a little easier (since I'm not sure how carrots would cook on the stove).

For the chicken, you season it with salt, pepper and rosemary and then cook it in the skillet. Easy as that.

The two potato gratin is to be the "adventure" part of this meal, since I've never made something like this before. We'll see how it turns out! But, with normal potatoes plus sweet potatoes, half and half, and gruyere, I am sure it will be lovely.

Monday - Dinner and Bill and Jenny's (our weekly tradition)


Tuesday - 5 Spice Pork


Wednesday - Thai Chicken Burgers

Thursday - Sausage and Potatoes

Friday - Mom and Dad visiting: Lasagna


This is the lasagna that I made for Ashley and James way back when I visited them in, I think, April. I've never had it myself, but Ashley gave it high marks so I figured we should try it. Honestly, I'm not sure where I got the recipe, but it was somewhere online:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (28 ounce) jar sausage flavored spaghetti sauce
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 (8 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces provolone cheese, shredded
• 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a skillet over medium heat season ground beef with garlic powder and oregano. Brown the meat and drain.
3. In a large sauce pan add spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, and oregano; set aside. In a skillet heat olive oil. Saute garlic and onions for about 5 minutes. Mix sauteed onions and garlic with meat into the sauce and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Combine mozzarella and provolone cheeses in a medium bowl. In a medium bowl mix ricotta cheese, eggs, milk, and oregano.
5. Layer a 9x13 inch baking pan with just enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Lay three lasagna noodles in the pan. Cover with sauce, then with ricotta mixture then sprinkle with mozzarella/provolone mixture; repeat layering. Finish with a layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
6. Bake covered in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes.

We'll see how that goes!

Saturday - Out!

Ed's off to the store right now to buy us all this loveliness. I am really looking forward to being home in the afternoons/evenings this week and cooking some delicious food :)