once a month cooking – Cozycakes Cottage

Our Menu (Week of December 4, 2011)

December 5, 2011 9 Comments

Chicken enchiladas

I can do this, I can do this, I will do this, I will do this. Every week.

That helps, believe it or not. I’m jumping back into weekly menu planning. Lately, I’d say I’ve had a menu plan only 2 weeks a month. And let me tell you, life around here is just better with a menu plan!

I give myself a bit of wiggle room with our menu. Life happens and we can’t always stick to our best laid plans. When I create and jot down my menu on my planning sheet, I consider our family schedule for the week. However, something always comes up (like I forget to defrost the chicken) so I generally end up flip-flopping a couple of days each week. No big deal–the menu still does its job and diminishes mealtime stress in my household.

Lunch is the meal that varies between my husband, daughter and myself. I pack a lunch for my husbands some days, but he often has lunch meetings or takes a break from the office and heads out for lunch. Because I usually want more snack-type foods at lunch, I tend to eat veggies and dip or salads. Baked sweet potatoes are also a favorite lunch of mine.

And as you can tell from the picture above, I am not a food photographer. Or any kind of photographer at that. Bad lighting, bad angles. I’m working on my skills, give me time. Lots of time.

Breakfasts

Oatmeal with dried cherries, bananas, fresh-squeezed orange juice x 3

Egg sausage scramble, toast, blackberries, kefir smoothie(free coupon from Lifeway which is our chosen brand!)

Toast with peanut butter/homemade jam, raspberries, milk

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, bananas, hot cider

Glazed cinnamon scones with cinnamon chips, raspberries, hot cider

Lunches

Leftovers x 3 plus fruit

Chicken salad sandwiches, fruit salad, yogurt

PB & J, fruit salad, string cheese

Gnocchi with peas, blackberries, kefir smoothie

Mini veggie-sausage pizzas, peaches

Dinners

Spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, salad

Mushroom barley soup, honey cornbread

Chicken enchiladas, chips and salsa, salad, fruit

Roasted chicken, broccoli, honey cornbread, fruit

Asian b.b.q. chicken, grilled squash and asparagus, rice

Potato cheese soup, homemade rolls, fruit salad

Leftovers Night

Snacks

Apples, grapes, bananas

Hummus and multi-grain crackers

String cheese and cucumbers

Banana bread and hot cider

Freezer Cooking (I’m splitting up my freezer cooking this week. I’ll do a little each day so I have no excuses!)

Honey cornbread

Banana bread

Spaghetti sauce

Meatballs

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

Rice

There you have it! We have a lot of extra outings this week so I tried to keep our menu as simple and easy as possible. I wanted to try out some new recipes, but figured I better stick with the tried and true this week. Of course, there will likely be a dessert or two thrown in there…tis the season for yummy desserts!

I’d love to hear your plans for the week. What’s on your menu?

December 3, 2011 8 Comments

As I attempt to streamline my household tasks, I’ve committed to making a meal plan each week and freezer cooking plays a vital role in my success. I don’t do this weekly and sometimes I don’t even get to it at all in a month, but it’s another concept which helps reduce 5 o’clock fridge panic (that’s a real illness–it strikes hard and fast).

For those of you unfamiliar with freezer cooking, it’s pretty self-explanatory and simple–you put together meals that freeze well, stick them in the freezer and pull them out when needed. Coupled with a meal plan, this can make your week of meals a breeze. There are many helpful online resources for freezer cooking (it has many names–sometimes called once-a-month-cooking or bulk cooking). Here are a few websites that I find useful:

Once a Month Mom: This site is dedicated to freezer/once-a-month cooking. A great resource–Dig around and enjoy!

Tammy’s Recipes: This page on Tammy’s Recipes is a nice peek into freezer cooking. You can search Tammy’s site for freezer meal tips and non-freezer cooking recipes. I like that her recipes aren’t out of glossy magazines. Real food for real families.

Life as Mom: This article on freezer cooking basics is helpful especially if you’re just getting started.

Moms by Heart: I recommend this site for those of you who, like me, want to adjust freezer cooking to fit you a bit better. Freezer cooking takes time, planning and a good deal of effort. Moms by Heart has addressed this and you might find her freezer cooking style better suits your schedule and needs.

Everything Mom: This page offers useful tips and organizing strategies for your cooking session such as what types of food freeze well and how to package your prepared food for the freezer.

Like I said, since there are dozens and dozens (actually, probably hundreds!) of online resources for freezer cooking ideas, you could spend hours looking at them. In addition, many of these websites offer strategies, tips, and organizational tools for your freezer cooking adventure–if you feel overwhelmed, you’re not alone! You don’t need to do it all to be successful. In fact, I’d recommend choosing just one or two recipes your first time around. You’ll get a better feel for what works for you and you can carry out new strategies and recipes in your next cooking session. Take your time getting started and remember–This is supposed to make life easier, not more stressful!

I’d love to share some of my favorite tips and recipes with you soon. I’ll include my freezer cooking plan on Monday’s Meal Plan Menu. In the meantime, please feel free to share your ideas with me! What’s your favorite freezer cooking meal?