Baby Preparation

Once I reached about 7 months into my pregnancy, I realized it was time to start planning meals. After all, I'm the cook here. My beloved husband, Dinah, can manage on his own, but why not make things easier on him?

Here's what we did.

In order to maintain variety, I chose 14 recipes that would freeze well. By cooking & freezing at least a double batch of each, that would allow a month of meals, ready to go. However, in my classic style, I went a bit overboard. We ended up with 60 frozen meals (each serving 2 people).

Pear-Stuffed Pork Loin, from Taste of Home
- - I didn't bother to put the recipe on justrightmenus.com, as it turns out we don't like it very much.
- - Serve with microwave-baked potato & canned veggie

Lasagna
- - It's the classic about-to-have-a-baby freezer food!
- - Serve with salad and bread (can send someone to the store for bread and bagged salad, to make it easy).

Chicken-Sweet-Potato Soup
- - I got the recipe from a crock pot book.
- - Serve alone or with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Cashew Chicken
- - Be sure not to over-cook the veggies before freezing, so they don't just end up squishy. Also, I recommend *against* adding the cashews at the time of freezing. They got REALLY soft after being frozen, and I ended up adding fresh cashews anyway.
- - Serve with rice cooked fresh at time of serving... but you can cook ahead and freeze it. I just find that doesn't save much time.

Stuffed Chicken Rolls
- - These turned out great as a frozen meal! Although the recipe says to slice them into rounds before serving, they stay much hotter if left whole, so I now go that route.
- - Serve with pasta and salad or canned veggie.

Chili
- - I canned about five quarts of chili, but it freezes great. Just make your favorite chili recipe like you normally would, pour into freezer bags, and you're ready to go. If you're up for the adventure, the BEST site to learn to can is the National Center for Home Food Preservation site.
- - Serve with cornbread. I bought some corn muffin mix, to make life easier.

Roasted Chicken Thighs/Quarters
- - The only thing I did here was prepare the spice mixture and pour it into the freezer bag with the chicken. That way, when you're ready to make it, all you have to do is dump it in your baking dish. It saves some prep time and makes the meal more approachable for someone not used to cooking (i.e. my spouse).
- - Don't forget to write the baking instructions on the package.
- - Serve with microwave-baked potato and veggie.

Spaghetti w/ Meatballs
- - Originally, I planned to cook the pasta and meatballs, pour the sauce over it, and freeze it like that... but then I ran out of freezer space and just put the meatballs in the freezer in packets containing enough for 2 people.
- - Serve with salad and bread.

Chicken Pot Pie / Chicken and Dumplings / Chicken and Biscuits
- - I made the innards of chicken pot pie and froze it. We don't actually make pie with it, though (I don't know what else to call it. I bought frozen biscuits to be served with it.
- - Serve with frozen or canned biscuits.

Chicken and Risotto
- - This was a one-pot-meal out of the Mediterranean cook book. It actually came out pretty bland - it's just risotto made w/ chicken broth, onions, chicken, and some spices. There's a different chicken one-pot meal I FAR prefer frozen: Chicken and "Chorizo." I have frozen the leftovers from that meal MANY times, and it comes out great.
- - Serve with salad or canned veggie.

Spinach-Cheese-Bacon Stuffed Pork Loin
- - This is definitely my favorite frozen meal. I made three of these and froze them. From now on, I plan to make several every time I make this and freeze the spares for future use.
- - Serve with microwave-baked potato and canned veggie.

Chicken Tetrazzini
- - I used a recipe from Taste of Home, and it came out GREAT. This is another one where I will make extra from now on, freezing more for later. Just like when freezing lasagna, follow all the instructions except baking it at the end.
- - Serve with salad or canned veggie.

Minestrone Soup
- - I canned four quarts of Minestrone, but it would freeze just fine. Again, for canning instructions, I highly recommend the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
- - Serve with deli sandwiches.

Enchiladas
- - These have been great not only for dinners but also for lunches while I'm at home during the day. Again, follow all the instructions except baking them at the end of the recipe. I just found a recipe online and went with that. I bought canned enchilada sauce to put in the cupboard for use at time of serving.
- - Serve with canned corn.

Some notes:
- - When freezing lasagna or tetrazzini, line your pans with tinfoil before filling, allowing enough to cover it up as well. I put foil in the pan like a + sign and seal the meal up like a package. Then, once the meal is frozen, I remove the pan and put the tinfoil-wrapped meal in a big freezer bag.
- - I listed really easy sides, but as I began to recover more, I have been cooking fresh vegetables and making some more interesting salads and sides to go with the entrees.
- - We have a side-by-side refrigerator/freezer unit, and I was able to fit the following: 2 pear-stuffed pork loin, 3 lasagna, 4 chicken-sweet potato soup, 5 cashew chicken, 6 packs of chicken rolls, 8 packs of chicken thighs/quarters, 6 packs of meatballs, 2 chicken pot pie, 4 chicken and risotto, 4 spinach/bacon/cheese pork loin, 3 chicken tetrazzini, and 6 packs of enchiladas. Combined with the chili and minestrone, we set ourselves up for meals for two months at least.

I'm really getting won over to this Once A Month Cooking thing!

Happy cooking!

MENU Mon Dec 14th through Sun Dec 27th 2009

MON 12/14 - Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice with leftover ham and the bit of cooked andouille from the freezer. Serve with salad and cornbread.

TUE 12/15 - Sauteed chicken breast (season with garlic, S&P) with potato gnocchi and salad.

WED 12/16 - Poached Fish with Tomato and Basil, Mediterranean Succotash

THU 12/17 - Pasta with home-made pesto and sauteed chicken breast, salad

FRI 12/18 - Chicken & Dumplings (use prepared, frozen chicken mixture)

SAT 12/19 - May be having Christmas Party Round II... dinner TBD

SUN 12/20 - Roast Chicken with Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes, salad, bread

MON 12/21 - Bowtie pasta w/ Bolognese Sauce, salad, bread

TUE 12/22 - Pork Stirfry

WED 12/23 - Steak, Avocado, & Bean Salad (use chicken for Dinah - leftover frozen steak for Jess)

THU 12/24 - Christmas Eve - make 2 pies to bring.

FRI 12/25 - Christmas!

SAT 12/26 - Chicken with Prawns (Med/125), rice, spinach salad, bread

SUN 12/27 - Butterflied Prawns in Chocolate as appetizer, Roast Duck, mashed sweet potatoes with apple, green beans (make some fancy way - not sure what yet)

MENU Sat Nov 14th through Nov 27th

SAT 11/14 - Puerco Pibil & rice

SUN 11/15 - chili (home-canned) and cornbread

MON 11/16 - Italian Breaded Pork Chops, stuffing mix, broccoli

TUE 11/17 - Polynesian Chicken, Rice, Roasted Pineapple

WED 11/18 - Stir Fry

THU 11/19 - Ham, mashed sweet potato, peas, cooked apples

FRI 11/20 - Zatarain's Smothered Chicken (add some andouille too)

SAT 11/21 - Going out w/ Mom & Dad

SUN 11/22 - Roast Chicken, baked sweet potato (make extra for tomorrow), veggie

MON 11/23 - Salmon with Caper Relish, use chicken for Jess, sweet potato, veggie

TUE 11/24 - Chicken Pot Pie (add frozen peas too)

WED 11/25 - Pasta

THU 11/26 - Thanksgiving - going to Katy's

FRI 11/27 - leftovers?

SAT 11/28 - Steak tenderloin, baked potato, salad

SUN 11/29 - Lasagna - make one, freeze one

MENU Sun Oct 25th through Fri Nov 13th

SUN 10/25 - Chili w/ cornbread (can the leftover chili)

MON 10/26 - Hot sandwiches

TUE 10/27 - Salmon w/ Caper Relish for Dinah, Chicken for Jess, acorn squash & veggie

WED 10/28 - Italian Breaded Pork Chops, Mashed Sweet Potato, Veggie

THU 10/29 - Polynesian Chicken, Roasted Pineapple

FRI 10/30 - Italian sausage, pasta, bread from Pillsbury can

SAT 10/31 - Steak tenderloin, baked potato, salad

SUN 11/1 - Lasagna - make one, freeze one, salad

MON 11/2 - Cashew Chicken

TUE 11/3 - dinner out w/ family

WED 11/4 - hot dogs, pasta salad, veggie

THU 11/5 - Chicken Marsala, angel hair pasta, veggie

FRI 11/6 - Shepherd's Pie with ground lamb and instant potatoes

SAT 11/7 - Chicken pot pie

SUN 11/8 - Lamb chops with Tzatsiki sauce, twice-baked potatoes, veggie

MON 11/9 - Barbecue chicken thighs, mashed sweet potato, veggie

TUE 11/10 - Stir-Fry of Chicken and Salad-Bar Fixings (Healthy Cooking for Two / 162)

WED 11/11 - Third Wedding Anniversary!

THU 11/12 - Pasta w/ Tomato Mozzarella Sausage

FRI 11/13 - Ham, mashed potatoes, peas

MENU Sat Aug 1st through Fri Aug 14th

Menu planning... where to start?

Keep mid-week meal prep time to a minimum. This is generally not the time to try a new recipe b/c they take much longer - - unless of course it's a really easy recipe.

Weekends mean you'll have more prep time available, but keep in mind that weekends can also be very active. Don't marry yourself to a weekend meal plan that means you won't have time to do the restful things you enjoy!

Plan for the most delicate produce to be used early in the week.

Plan for lunches - make something early in the week that has leftovers you can use for lunch later in the week.

Build in flexibility - make sure there's one meal a week that can drop off the menu without consequences... something from the freezer + cans + anything that keeps for a while. Allow for spontaneity!

Have a variety - a variety of ingredients, main entree meats, a variety of cooking styles, casual to involved, etc.

SAT 8/1 - Going to a friend's for dinner.
Lunch will be chicken wings - Buffalo for Jess, Barbecue for Dinah.

SUN 8/2 - Grilled tenderloin steaks, spinach for Jess, other veggie for Dinah (asparagus), baked potato

MON 8/3 - Spaghetti with Meat Sauce (make enough for lunches, too - use 2 packs of gr. beef), salad (use the bit of broccoli left from last week), bread

TUE 8/4 - Poached Fish with Tomato and Basil (using fresh basil from the garden), Mediterranean Succotash, veggie (squash)

WED 8/5 - Italian Breaded Pork Chops, Rosemary Potatoes, salad

THU 8/6 - Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole, veggie. Either have it ready the night before or do it right when you walk in the door. It's super-easy, but it cooks for almost an hour.

FRI 8/7 - leftover Chicken Enchiladas from the freezer; serve with chips and salsa w/ avocado, canned corn

SAT 8/8 - Yogurt Grilled Chicken Breast with Pineapple Roasted Red Pepper Salsa - now that's a descriptive title!

SUN 8/9 - Chicken-Andouille Casserole Let's give it a shot!

MON 8/10 - Roasted Chicken Quarters (we have some breasts, some leg/thigh quarters - either works for the recipe), baked potato, salad

TUE 8/11 - Trout with Honey-Citrus Glaze (recipe was originally for salmon, but let's try trout b/c it's what's on hand), wild rice mix, veggie

WED 8/12 - Sweet and Sour Pork with rice

THU 8/13 - Sauteed Chicken Breast with Cucumber Salad, pasta salad

FRI 8/14 - Sloppy Joes, baby carrots on the side


Remember for next time: we have lamb in the freezer! May put on next menu set. Also plan a sushi night!


Grocery list:
baking potatoes x 2
salad ingredients for 2 nights
avocado
onion
veggie x 2
Dinah veggie
fresh spinach
fresh parsley
one pepper (any color is fine)
jarred roasted red pepper
bag of frozen veggies
flatbread
remember to purchase lunch-related items


Grocery list for perishables in week 2:
salad ingredients
veggie
green pepper
cucumber
fresh parsley
lemon
rolls for sloppy joes
OJ
remember to purchase lunch-related items

MENU Sat July 18th through Fri July 31st

Well, the refrigerator was rebelling in mid-July, last week, so we ate out *a* *lot*. Then it was back to our regularly scheduled programming... but I'm just now posting the menu.

I'm going to make a concerted effort toward having easier, quicker meals during the week. I enjoy cooking, but I don't want to spend hours each night preparing & cleaning up from dinner. There are so many other things I want to do!

SAT 7/18 - Grilled ribeye, Salad, Bread

SUN 7/19 - Roast Chicken, Risotto, Veggie (Broccoli)

MON 7/20 - Pork Stirfry

TUE 7/21 - Chicken Chilaquiles using leftover chicken

WED 7/22 - Walnut Crusted Trout, Baked Potato (microwaved, actually), veggie

THU 7/23 - Brandy-Orange Chicken, Rice, Carrots

FRI 7/24 - Soft Tacos (beef)

SAT 7/25 - scheduled dinner at a friend's house

SUN 7/26 - Crablegs for Jess, Catfish for Dinah, Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice, veggie

MON 7/27 - Tomato/Mozzarella Sausage with pasta and veggie

TUE 7/28 - Grilled pork tenderloin, grilled veggies (squash, mushrooms, onions, peppers), potato

WED 7/29 - Cashew Chicken

THU 7/30 - Broiled Tilapia Parmesan, veggie, polenta with marinara sauce and Fontina cheese

FRI 7/31 - Pasta w/ Chicken & Vodka Cream Sauce, bread, salad

MENU Sun July 5th through Sun July 19th

We're all about variety and economy. Pay attention to what's already stocked in your pantry, to what's on sale this week. You can have great meals at a decent price - sure, it takes a bit of planning, but it can be done. It's my job to teach you how! You don't have to live on frozen pizza anymore.

SUN 7/5 - Puerco Pibil and Maque Choux (pronounced something like "mock shoe")

MON 7/6 - Favorite Shrimp of Dinah's, Snow Crab legs, Fried Okra with Remoulade Sauce, Zatarain's New Orleans Style Red Beans and Rice

TUE 7/7 - Grilled pork tenderloin, stuffing (made from a mix), salad

WED 7/8 - Salmon with Caper Relish, rice, veggie

THU 7/9 - Stuffed Chicken Rolls, Pasta with Creamy Shallot Sauce, salad if we have leftover salad ingredients still

FRI 7/10 - Enchiladas (from the freezer - made them several weeks ago & froze the extras). There's nothing like an easy meal on a Friday.

SAT 7/11 - Grilled Lamb Chops, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, Grilled Veggies (mushrooms, peppers, onions, squash)

SUN 7/12 - Homemade pizza

MON 7/13 - Pork Stirfry

TUE 7/14 - Brandy and Orange Chicken, rice, veggie

WED 7/15 - Broiled Tilapia Parmesan, Risotto, Glazed Carrots - use this recipe but with all carrots instead of carrots and parsnips.

THU 7/16 - Grilled Ribeye Steak, Stuffed Mushrooms, Bread with Dipping Oil & Spices, Salad

FRI 7/17 - Vodka Cream Sauce with pasta and chicken (I just cook the chicken on the stove-top after pounding it flat).

SAT 7/18 - kabobs - undecided yet what kind to do. Probably will be "Prosciutto" Chicken Kabobs. Feel free to make them with real prosciutto, as opposed to using salami. But for the money, I'll use salami. Maybe one day I'll make it back to Spain and come back with a suitcase full of Serrano Ham, though.

SUN 7/19 - Coq au Vin. Between those instructions and Joy of Cooking, I'm going to give it a try, I think. If the weather's nice, though, I may forego cooking this, go kayaking, and have cheeseburgers for dinner.

I'm realizing just how often we cook with alcohol... let's see, this two-week menu has tequila, wine, sherry, brandy, and vodka. The alcohol cooks off, and you are left with a complex, irreproducable flavor. My, but I love Vodka Cream Sauce. I have a special relationship with fresh basil.

MENU Sun May 21st through Fri July 3rd

Summer's here - share your favorite recipe on

SUN 6/21 - Happy Father's Day! A requested menu of Coconut Shrimp and Stuffed Mushrooms (scaled the recipe down), and I decided to make Tomato Pie, too. An odd mix, but it was tasty.

MON 6/22 - One-pot meal of Chicken and "Chorizo" - used leftover bits of veggies from the freezer.

TUE 6/23 - Grilled pork chops, baked potato, and veggies (eggplant for Jess, broccoli for Dinah)

WED 6/24 - Chicken Carbonara, serve with salad and bread

THU 6/25 - Crunchy Oven-Fried Fish, rice, veggie (broccoli)

FRI 6/26 - Homemade oven-toasted subs & fries (those are not homemade)

SAT 6/27 - Brandon's Birthday Party!!

SUN 6/28 - Cajun Blackened Catfish (& Blackened Chicken), Fried Okra with Remoulade Sauce, watermelon

MON 6/29 - Roasted Chicken Quarters, baked potato, corn

TUE 6/30 - Everyone's on their own for dinner tonight

WED 7/1 - Tilapia with Grapefruit Salsa (TOH2/WInter07/52), veggie, rice

THU 7/2 - Porterhouse, potato, grilled veggies

FRI 7/3 - Southwest Chicken and Black Bean Burritos (RR1/92)

SAT 7/4 - Happy Fourth of July! No plans yet.

Coming soon....
The grocery store had rainbow trout fillets and lamb chops on clearance.... we have a pork roast in the freezer that would be great for Puerco Pibil, there were small pork tenderloins on sale last week, and it's Farmer's Market season! Please share your favorite recipes on JustRightMenus.com and help make the world a tastier place.

MENU Sun May 24 through Sat June 6th

It's been crazy here for the last month... I think it's actually been that long since we've eaten according to the menu. Had an unexpected trip to Buffalo, friends and family having trouble, house repairs (let's hear it for a tiled kitchen floor!), Lasik surgery, and a new job. I think that covers it.

I'll be back to posting menus now, though.

Happy Memorial Day!

Sun 5/24 - Grilled Porterhouse with Mushrooms for Steak, grilled corn, good bread

Mon 5/25 - Stuffed Porkloin, veggie, baked potato

Tue 5/26 - Taco Salad

Wed 5/27 - Baked Fish with Mushrooms, veggie, wild rice mix

Thu 5/28 - Tarragon-Crusted Chicken (TOH 2/Spring08/7), salad, Mediterranean Succotash

Fri 5/29 - Sesame Noodles (RR1/104) with stir-fried chicken and veggies

Sat 5/30 - Grilled Shrimp Mediterranean over Pasta, salad

Sun 5/31 - Stuffed Mushroom appetizer, Grilled Lamb Chops using this marinade, found on Cooking for Engineers, grilled veggies, rosemary potatoes

Mon 6/1 - Salmon with Caper Relish, wild rice mix, veggie

Tue 6/2 - Enchiladas w/ Mole Sauce (RR1/97-8), salad

Wed 6/3 - Grilled chicken breast, grilled veggies, baked potato

Thu 6/4 - Pasta & Sauteed Chicken with Vodka Cream Sauce (sauce recipe from RR1/44), salad and good bread

Fri 6/5 - Steakhouse Beef & Pepper Stir Fry

Sat 6/6 - Baked Chicken Quarters, Twice-Baked Potatoes, veggie

MENU Sat Mar 7th through Fri Mar 20th

SAT 3/7 - "Proscuitto" Chicken Kabobs, Shrimp and Black Bean Salad, and grilled veggies (zucchini, onions, green pepper, and mushrooms)

SUN 3/8 - Grilled ribeye steak, salad, mashed potatoes - make lots & use extras for Shepherd's pie tomorrow. Serve steak with mushrooms

MON 3/9 - Shepherd's Pie, salad

TUE 3/10 - Italian Breaded Pork Chops, broiled red potatoes, veggie (broccoli)

WED 3/11 - Baked Cod (though we're going to use Tilapia) with Stuffing on Top and White Risotto (RR2468/244) ... we never had it though it was scheduled on the last menu. Have with carrots & parsnips

THU 3/12 - Chicken and Asparagus Kabobs, homemade Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

FRI 3/13 - Pork Stir Fry

SAT 3/14 - Probably at Josh's birthday party.

SUN 3/15 - Grilled barbecued chicken quarters, grilled veggie kabobs, red beans and rice

MON 3/16 - Cedar-planked salmon (Amer/22), wild rice mix, veggie

TUE 3/17 - cheesy rice (from leftover rice in frzr), ham steaks, veggie

WED 3/18 - vermicelli salad but w/o peanuts, chicken & broccoli stir-fry

THU 3/19 - Baked barbecue pork chops, fried apples, baked Parmesan potato fries

FRI 3/20 - Chicken & Dumplings (from frzr chicken mix)

SAT 3/21 - Go to the zoo? Pasta salad made w/ egg noodles, ham sandwiches, veggies ... hopefully, there'll be nice weather & we can go.

MENU Mon Feb 23rd through Fri Mar 6th

MON 2/23 - Baked Spaghetti. The last time I made it, I froze half - for this meal, we'll cook that frozen half.

TUE 2/24 - Chicken stir-fry served with rice

WED 2/25 - Roasted Chicken Quarters, rice w/ almonds & oranges, veggie on sale

THU 2/26 - Crunchy Oven-Fried Fish made using salmon, acorn squash (microwave to cook), veggie

FRI 2/27 - Chicken pot pie made w/ frozen dough from Debbie.

SAT 2/28 - Lasagna - use ricotta in fridge, salad

SUN 3/1 - Cornish hens, rosemary potatoes, salad

MON 3/2 - Dinah's first day at his new job!! Hooray!!
Chicken Marsala, herbed angel hair pasta, salad

TUE 3/3 - Tuna Tataki w/ Ponzu sauce, jasmine rice, veggie

WED 3/4 - Salmon with Caper Relish, wild rice mix, veggie

THU 3/5 - Chicken in Mushroom Sauce, Fried Apples and Onions

FRI 3/6 - Pre-cooked ham steaks from frzr - just need to reheat. Serve w/ mashed potatoes & canned peas.

SAT 3/7 - Baked Cod (though we're going to use Tilapia) with Stuffing on Top and White Risotto (RR2468/244)

MENU Sun Feb 8th through Sat Feb 21st

SUN 2/8 - ate with the neighbors

MON 2/9 - Sicilian Sausage and Fennel Pasta, salad

TUE 2/10 - Shrimp Toast with Cucumber Sauce (RR1/109)

WED 2/11 -Baked Spaghetti, salad - have 1/2 spag. for dinner, freeze 1/2 unbaked

THU 2/12 - Crunchy Oven Fried Fish, Italian-Style Broccoli

FRI 2/13 - Chicken in Mushroom Sauce, Fried Apples and Onions

SAT 2/14 - A Romantic Dinner! I know we want to have lamb, but I'm not sure what else yet. I'll make the Chocolate Hazelnut Torte that day, too.

SUN 2/15 - Lasagna, salad - have 1/2 las. for dinner, freeze 1/2 unbaked. Be sure to separate out 2 TB of the ricotta for use tomorrow in the Stuffed Chicken Rolls.

MON 2/16 - Stuffed Chicken Rolls, served with salad and rosemary potatoes instead of pasta. Rice from the freezer - was made 2 weeks ago, when we had Cashew Chicken & I made extra rice for this very purpose.

TUE 2/17 - Salmon with Orange-Ginger Glaze, wild rice mix w/ mandarin oranges and almonds added, veggie that's on sale.

WED 2/18 - Baked Cod (though we're going to use Tilapia) with Stuffing on Top and White Risotto (RR2468/244)

THU 2/19 - Italian Baked Chicken, pesto potatoes, working with the idea on this site, veggie that's on sale.

FRI 2/20 - Hamburgers - I'm going to check with our friend Brad on a good way to make them tasty. Served with a few baked chips and baby carrots, celery, cukes.

SAT 2/21 - My sweet Dinah's birthday!! We're going to have a party w/ lots of good foods... not officially planned yet, though.

SUN 2/22 - Going to dinner with Dinah's parents, for his birthday. They kindly offered to take us to a rib place we've not been to before. How fun!

MENU Sat Jan 24th through Fri Feb 6th

SAT 1/24 - used leftover lamb from 1/22 to make Greek Gyros

SUN 1/25 - Pasta w/ Bolognese Sauce (Med/120)

MON 1/26 - Classic Chicken Marsala, pasta, salad

TUE 1/27 - Poached Fish with Tomato and Basil, Mediterranean Succotash

WED 1/28 - Teriyaki Chicken, mashed potatoes, stir fried bok choy, carrots, & pepper on the side

THU 1/29 - Using our gift certificate from Uncle Walter & Aunt Deena to go to Michael Dean's (restaurant). The restaurant even has BOGO dinners if you go between 5 & 6 in January, so it'll be a *really* good deal. I've heard nothing but good things about this place... I"m excited about our fancy date out.

FRI 1/30 - Shredded Pork Wraps

SAT 1/31 - going to visit Brad & Jen - bringing Rice with Lentils and tzatziki sauce

SUN 2/1 - Lamb shoulder chops, veggie that's on sale, Twice Baked Potatoes with Roasted Garlic and Cheddar

MON 2/2 - Brandy and Orange Chicken, potatoes au gratin, veggie that's on sale

TUE 2/3 - Cashew Chicken

WED 2/4 - Salmon with Honey-Citrus Glaze, rice, veggie (that's right, whatever's on sale)

THU 2/5 - Sushi Thai

FRI 2/6 - Polynesian Chicken, Roasted Pineapple

MENU Tue Jan 13th through Fri Jan 23rd

I never did post this menu two weeks ago, so I'll be posting two today, covering the last two weeks and the coming two weeks.

When I planned a meal for 1/9, I had not recalled that we'd be going to Dinah's parents' house that night for his mother's birthday dinner. So, Friday's meal dropped off the menu. Then, we went out to dinner with friends on 1/10, and I don't remember what we did for dinner on Sunday or Monday. That's what I get for not posting menus on time.

TUE 1/13 - Fajitas

WED 1/14 - Taco salad made with ground turkey

THU 1/15 - Onion Soup, Pollo Rosa Maria, sauteed squash

FRI 1/16 - Poached Salmon w/ Basil Vinaigrette, rice, veggie that's on sale

SAT 1/17 - Minestrone Soup w/ Ham Bone, ham sandwiches

SUN 1/18 - Salmon-Zucchini Wedge Appetizer, Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp, Spinach dip with veggies and bread

MON 1/19 - Chicken Cacciatore, salad

TUE 1/20 - Chicken Stir Fry

WED 1/21 - Leftover Chicken Cacciatore, salad

THU 1/22 - Roast Leg of Lamb, Baked Potato, steamed asparagus

FRI 1/23 - We had planned for Chicken Pot Pie, but ended up using a coupon for a free entree at Red, Hot, & Blue and going out to Comedy Worx instead. Much, much fun.

MENU Fri Dec 26th through Sat Jan 10th

Christmas through 12/28 - lots of holiday food, party food, and leftovers from said holiday and party meals.

MON 12/29 - Chili made w/ leftover (frozen) rib meat, cornbread muffins.

TUE 12/30 - Salmon with Caper Relish, rice, salad

WED 12/31 - We're going to a party that night, so we'll probably do something super quick & easy.. I had been planning to make Pasta au Gratin (a great recipe from my mom - she makes it every New Year's), but that'll have to wait to New Year's Day instead. I think we'll have Chicken Pot Pie (without the pie.. do some bread instead.. I keep the chicken stew in 2-portion bags in the freezer).

THU 1/1 - Say hello to 2009 with Pasta au Gratin (my mom's great recipe)!

FRI 1/2 - Brandy and Orange Chicken (RR2/190), stuffing, Glazed Parsnips and Carrots.

SAT 1/3 - Puerco Pibil (recipe from extras on the dvd for Once Upon A Time In Mexico), corn, rice

SUN 1/4 - Roast Chicken, Twice Baked Potatoes, veggie (whatever's on sale)

MON 1/5 - Chicken and "Chorizo" made with leftover chicken from Sunday night's Roast Chicken and with the 1/2 # kielbasa I have in the freezer. From having celery w/ wings for our party last weekend, I experimented with freezing celery.. it will now go in this recipe.

TUE 1/6 - BBQ Chicken Legs (the way my fabulous older sister taught me to make them), mashed potatoes, veggie (whatever's on sale)

WED 1/7 - Goulash (RR1/155) made using ground turkey instead of beef, salad

THU 1/8 - Fajitas (RR1/90) w/ Guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and tortilla chips on the side

FRI 1/9 - Good bread w/ dipping oil w/ spices, Stuffed Chicken Rolls (Med/131) using rice & ricotta from the freezer, served with pasta & salad

SAT 1/10 - Onion Soup, Pollo Rosa Maria, veggie (whatever's on sale, hopefully asparagus)

MENU Sat Dec 6th through Thu Dec 25th

Great news!

My sweet husband gave me a most wondrous early Christmas present: Just Right Menus now has its own domain!! Check it out - www.justrightmenus.com - woohoo!

((www.mcrackan.com/recipes will still get you there, too.))

AND... I have business cards, so when I tell people about the site, I can now give them a card as a reminder of where to go. This means you don't have to be able to spell McRackan to find the site - it's just www.justrightmenus.com. Tell your cook friends.. and tell your non-cook friends, too - they're especially the ones I'm trying to help!

So, on the subject of menus.. yet again, I didn't make the Jambalaya last weekend. I still had many, many containers of leftovers in the freezer, of eggplant parmesan and of lasagne ... so I couldn't make the Jambalaya as I had nowhere to put the leftovers. ::sigh:: Instead, we went out to Olive Garden, using a gift card we received as an anniversary gift from Dinah's parents. Yum, yum, yum.

Oh, and yesterday we had leftover pork ribs from Thursday's meal, canned veggies (peas and corn), and instant potatoes - I got a free sample of the potatoes in the mail. Why not.

With no further ado:
Here's the menu for the next two weeks plus the days leading to Christmas.

SUN 12/7 - Twice-Baked Potatoes (TOH2/Sp07/8), zucchini, and Lamb!! I'm making Shoulder Lamb Chops with Squash and Tomatoes. (The grocery store had nice lamb chops for $6/lb.)

MON 12/8 - Pasta w/ Tomato Sauce & ground turkey, salad

TUE 12/9 - Pork tenderloin, acorn squash, and broccoli

WED 12/10 - BBQ chicken legs, spaghetti squash, fried apples

THU 12/11 - Salmon w/ Balsamic Glaze, leftover spaghetti squash, broccoli

FRI 12/12 - Black Bean, Corn, and Sausage Soup (from the freezer), corn muffins

SAT 12/13 - going to a party that evening.. not sure what we'll do for meals. Probably have a late lunch then party snacks in lieu of regular dinner.

SUN 12/14 - Jambalaya - seriously, I'm making it this time.

MON 12/15 - Chicken Marsala, Herbed Angel Hair Pasta, Cheddar Zucchini Saute.

TUE 12/16 - Carrot Soup (TOH2/Sp07/25), Grilled Chicken Sandwiches (on buns from the freezer)

WED 12/17 - Italian Breaded Pork Chops, Onion Soup, veggie

THU 12/18 - Sweet and Sour Pork, rice

FRI 12/19 - Chicken Pot Pie stuff from the freezer, made w/ drop biscuits instead of in a pie, and use up the extra bits of veggies in the freezer with it

SAT 12/20 - Puerco Pibil, rice, corn

SUN 12/21 - I'll be baking cookies all day ... leftover pibil = dinner

MON 12/22 - Pasta w/ pesto & chicken, salad

TUE 12/23 - Chicken Enchiladas, salad

WED 12/24 - We'll be at Dinah's parents' house... and they always have Baked Spaghetti for Christmas Eve Dinner - it's one of Dinah's favorite meals. His grandparents will be in town also, so it'll be a really nice time.

THU 12/25 - I'm making Sour Cream / Apple Coffee Cake and a sausage & egg casserole for breadfast; we'll go to Dinah's sister's family's house for a big Christmas lunch... I'm not sure how dinner will work out.

MENU Mon Nov 24th through Fri Dec 5th

Happy Thanksgiving! What a crazy week it was, but at last we have several days of rest - and we got to spend yesterday with family, which was wonderful.

Mon 11/24 - Onion Soup (RR2/172), pork chops, butternut squash

Tue 11/25 - I had to work about an hour and a half late, so I called in Chinese & picked it up on the way home.

Wed 11/26 - Baked Fish with Mushrooms (BH&G/282), rice, broccoli

Thu 11/27 - TONS of good food for a Thanksgiving lunch ... then leftover Chinese for dinner.
For Thanksgiving, I brought Artichoke Dip for an appetizer, and Apple Pie for dessert.

Fri 11/28 - leftover Thanksgiving for dinner

Sat 11/29 - at last, make the Jambalaya I've been meaning to cook for ages

Sun 11/30 - Chicken pot pie

Mon 12/1 - Salmon w/ Caper Relish, rice, broccoli

Tue 12/2 - Lasagna (from freezer), salad

Wed 12/3 - Cashew Chicken (RR1/105)

Thu 12/4 - Shredded Pork Wraps (a Crock Pot meal), chips & salsa

Fri 12/5 - Pork fried rice (using leftover cooked pork in the freezer)

MENU Mon Nov 10th through Sat Nov 22nd

We just had a weekend of eating out (celebrating our anniversary then eating out with a group of friends) so it's a fine time to create a meal plan based (almost) entirely on what's already in our refrigerator.

11/10 Mon - Chicken & Eggplant Parmesan, salad on the side (I have lettuce, carrots, onion, and cheese for the salad - optionally could add walnuts & craisins, but probably won't add those two items for this meal

11/11 Tue - Happy Second Anniversary to Us! :) BBQ Chicken legs, mashed sweet potato, cooked carrots

11/12 Wed - Sausage Soup with cornbread on the side.

11/13 Thu - Pasta w/ red sauce and ground turkey, salad on the side

11/14 Fri - Baked Fish with Mushrooms (BH&G/282), rice, and veggie (okay, so we will have to go to the store for mushrooms and a veggie for this meal ... salmon's on sale, too ... )
**we never made this that week... ended up going out for Mexican b/c I had to work late**

11/15 Sat - Chicken pot pie (use the bits of leftover canned veggies I have saved in the freezer, the celery that's still in the fridge, and any leftover fresh carrots we still have) - make lots extra to freeze for future meals

11/16 Sun - Pork tenderloin (I'll bring the extra to work for lunch) and acorn squash

11/17 Mon - chili and cornbread

11/18 Tue - steak (the last Porterhouse we have in the freezer!), salad, potato

11/19 Wed - Lasagna (make in small pans & freeze one)

11/20 Thu - Chicken & rice & sausage meal

11/21 Fri - Stir fry w/ chicken and tofu (from freezer - it was on clearance one day, and I saved it in the frzr)

11/22 - Jambalaya

MENU Sat Oct 11 through Sat Oct 25

10/11 Sat - blackened chicken, fried okra, tomato pie, apple pie for dessert

10/12 Sun - had dinner plans w/ Dinah's parents - BBQ Lodge in Raleigh. Mmmm, fried chicken.

10/13 Mon - Pork Chops and Chunky Apple Sauce (RR/153), biscuits (I've found that frozen ones work best when there's only 2 people to serve), & peas

10/14 Tue - Salmon with Caper Relish, rice, corn

10/15 Wed - "Prosciutto" Chicken Kabobs, veggie kabobs

10/16 Thu - Pollo Rosa Maria, pasta, salad

10/17 Fri - potato soup (from an earlier batch, in the freezer), kielbasa

10/18 Sat - dinner out - we're going to Show, Shine, Shag & Dine in Henderson - an antique/classic car show. Dinah planned this trip as a birthday present for me! :) Hooray!

10/19 Sun - Grilled pork loin, salad, bread

10/20 Mon - dinner out - we're going to the NC State Fair! I've been looking forward to this for months!

10/21 Tue - Apricot Glazed Chicken (TOH2/Fall08/26), rice, veggie that's on sale - maybe we'll do acorn squash instead of rice ... I'll have to check the $/lb
Happy 30th wedding anniversary to my parents; congratulations!!

10/22 Wed - grilled steak, grilled onions, Steak Mushrooms, baked potato, veggie that's on sale

10/23 Thu - Poached Fish with Tomato and Basil (RR2/238), Mediterranean Succotash (RR2/238)

10/24 Fri - pasta w/ pesto and chicken, salad

10/25 Sat - Michoacan Beef (Mex/38)

MENU Sat Sep 27th through Fri Oct 10th

9/27 Sat - frozen crock pot meal, left over from the week of the accident. We have to use it sometime.. now's as good a time as any.

9/28 Sun - Pasta w/ Citrus Cream Sauce (RR2/188) with pork medallions instead of veal.
Honestly, we had a late lunch on Sunday and I never made this ... and there's part of the recipe that I don't understand. It'll go on the next 2-week menu, and at that point I'll post the recipe. I just don't want to post the instructions when I don't understand how to do it.

9/29 Mon - grilled Porterhouse w/ mushrooms, salad on the side

9/30 Tue - Mediterranean Succotash (RR2/238) & Poached Fish with Tomato and Basil (RR2/238) This is a SUPER-FAST meal! I walked in the door at 5:25 and had dinner on the table at 5:55. Seriously.

10/1 Wed - Chilaquiles (Mex/32), Pineapple Dessert

10/2 Thu - Chicken Piccata (RR2/94), salad on the side

10/3 Fri - potato soup (leftover in the freezer) and kielbasa

10/4 Sat - grilled pork loin, twice baked sweet potatoes, whatever veggie's on sale

10/5 Sun - Sweet and Sour Pork (TOH/46), rice

10/6 Mon - Pork Chops with Caramelized Onion Sauce & Mushroom Cherry Couscous (RR2468/50)

10/7 Tue - Steak, Avocado, & Bean Salad (Mex/26)

10/8 Wed - Apricot Glazed Chicken (TOH2/Fall08/26) & Gingered Green Beans

10/9 Thu - Crunchy Oven-Fried Fish (QH&DC/67) & chutney tartar sauce (QH&DC/54), rice, & whatever veggie's on sale

10/10 Fri - stir fry