Meal Planning Part 2

Week 1-2 of Meal Planning

 

Last time I started talking about how I've started planning our meals for the whole month. Now I'm going to share two week's worth of meals, recipes, and a shopping list! I have a good collection of about 12 recipes that are my "go-to's". They are easy, inexpensive, and our family loves them. For February, I planned lots of meals like this because I'm still getting used to mommy-hood. Also, as mentioned in my last post, I cook enough at once so that we can eat that for supper two nights! If you're family doesn't do leftovers, you'll have to add in some extra meals.

 

 

Week 1

Day 1/2: Baked Spaghetti

Day 3/4: Taco Night

Day 5/6: BBQ Chicken and vegetables

 

Week 2

Day 1/2: Chili with cornbread

Day 3/4: Stir Fry

Day 5/6: Taco Night

 

For the 7th day of each week, we either did a special date night at home with steak that we already had in the freezer or ate a freezer meal that I had made before our son arrived! Those have been so nice to have.

 

Shopping list for this round

Cost: Approximately $45 (I shopped at Aldi for the majority of the list)

• 2 lbs. ground turkey (use whatever ground meat you like/that's on sale)
• 1 bag of frozen chicken breasts or chicken breasts in bulk (you wont need it all this time, but will use it for the next half of the month)
• 1 package of smoked sausage
• Spaghetti Noodles
• Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
• 4 cup package of shredded cheddar cheese or block of cheddar to shred yourself
• Frozen vegetables of your choice (broccoli and green beans are our favorite)
•  2 cans of chili beans
• 1 package of chili seasoning
• Ingredients for cornbread (I have these on hand) or a package of box cornbread mix
• 3 cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 bell pepper
• 2 onions
• 2 packages of taco seasoning
• 1 large jar of your favorite salsa
• Tortillas
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Recipes



I apologize for not having pictures. Meal time isn't what it used to be with a newborn! I will try by best to have some next time! :)

 

Baked Spaghetti: Cook noodles and brown 1 lb. ground turkey. Once turkey is completely cooked, stir in jar of spaghetti sauce and a can of diced tomatoes. Make alternating layers of  noodles and meat in a 9 x 13 dish. Top with 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes! Steam broccoli or have a salad on the side. This meal is also HUGE. So we sometimes eat it for 3 nights and/or have lunches.

 

Taco Night: This is possibly our favorite meal to have! It's so easy! Cook chicken breasts (I usually do 2-3 depending on size) in the slow cooker with 1/2 the jar of salsa, taco seasoning, and black beans for 2 hours or until chicken is done. Take the chicken out and shred with two forks. Put back in the slow cooker and stir together add 1 cup of shredded cheese before serving. Serve on tortillas with your favorite toppings. We sometimes put the mixture inside of a tortilla and grill/cook in a pan for a quesadilla instead!

 

BBQ Chicken: Another family favorite... cook chicken breasts in slow cooker with 1 bottle of BBQ Sauce. Take chicken out and shred. Serve with vegetables and rice or on a bun.

 

Chili: Dice and saute 1/2bell pepper and 1 onion. Brown 1 lb. ground turkey in a soup pot. Add 2 can of diced tomatoes, 2 cans of chili beans (don't drain!), and package of chili seasoning. Let simmer for 30 minutes. This can also be cooked in a slow cooker. Top with cheese and serve with cornbread!

 

Stir Fry: Cut smoked sausage into bit sized pieces. Slice 1/2 bell pepper and 1 onion. Saute sausage, pepper, and onion until the sausage browns. I serve this with brown rice. Sometimes I also add some kidney beans and Cajun seasoning.

 

The shopping list is the BASICS for the suppers. I always have a few things on hand that I can throw together like brown rice and whole wheat pasta, frozen vegetables of all kinds, flour and cornmeal for breads, seasonings and spices. These things help me make meals more flavorful and filling.



Summer + Kabobs

Well, I have officially been gone since February! I am not exactly sure where the past 6 months have gone. From February until May, I was consumed with graduate school and graduated in May! I'm still pretty stoked about that. From May until June, I was finishing up the school year. And since then I've been traveling the country! What a summer it's been. We've been to Louisiana, Alabama, Philadelphia, California, Delaware, the Florida Keys, and Ft. Lauderdale! Somewhere in there, I also found out that I am pregnant! I am about 18 weeks along now and we are so excited for our first baby to arrive in December! It's been a crazy summer, but so much fun! It's been great having all this time with my husband. He starts a new job this week and we've been so blessed to have so much time together this summer. I'm going to miss him when he starts. I apologize for being gone, but I'm so excited to share some new recipes with you!

With summer in full force, the heat is also in full force. We have been trying to do whatever we can to keep the air conditioning from overworking itself. One thing that really helps is to use the grill instead of the stove and oven. It keeps the heat outside instead of in the kitchen! Some of the most versatile things that I have really grown to love are kabobs. They are so easy and you can really tailor them to what you like.

For these kabobs, you'll need: 2-3 chicken breasts, red and green bell peppers, zucchini squash. For the marinade, you'll need: honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, 1 lemon, salt and pepper.

1. In a medium bowl, mix 2 tbsp. honey, 2 tbsp. vinegar, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. lemon zest, the juice of the lemon (remember to zest before you cut!), and 1 tsp. salt and pepper. Whisk together well.

2. Chop vegetables and meat making sure that all of your pieces are relatively the same size. This is important so that everything cooks evenly.

I chose to use peppers and zucchini because it's what I had from my garden. Onions, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, pineapple, and peaches are also very good on kabobs.

3. Mix your vegetables and meat into the marinade. Obviously, the longer that you let it marinade, the more flavor the food will have. I suggest letting it sit in the marinade in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. (If you're using fish as your protein, and citrus in the marinade, you shouldn't marinade for more than 10-15 minutes, or the fish will cook-- also known in Hispanic food as ceviche!)

4. Place your meat and veggies/fruits on the skewers. I have metal skewers that can be washed and reused. If you are using wooden skewers, you'll want to soak them in water for about 20 minutes before using. That will keep them from burning. Either type of skewer is just fine. When adding the meat and produce, place them closely together so that they barely touching each other.

4. Grill on a hot grill, about 400 degrees. Cook on each side for about 5 minutes or until the meat is done.

5. Remove from grill and enjoy! You can enjoy kabobs by themselves, but if you need something else, they are also good served with rice, quinoa, or another grain. When I made these kabobs, we enjoyed them over a salad. It was delicious!

More ideas for kabobs:

chicken + pineapple and broccoli + citrus marinade

steak + tomatoes and mushrooms + Worcestershire sauce marinade

shrimp kabobs + squash and peppers + spicy marinade

Basic tips:

The basic components of a kabob are a meat, vegetables, fruits, and usually a marinade or dry spices. I do not recommend having more than one type of meat on one kabob, because different meats have different cooking time. If you want steak and chicken, just put them on two separate skewers and it will be fine. Also, a part of any marinade should include some form of oil so that the kabob does not stick to the grill. If you're using dry spices, you should spray the grill with some type of non-stick spray.

I hope that you're staying cool this summer and that you enjoy these kabobs! They are so easy, quick, and helps you keep your house cool during these hot days!

Broccoli, Grape, and Pasta Salad

I subscribe to Southern Living magazine. I patiently wait for the 20th of every month when I get the new issue! It is full of great recipes, gardening tips, and decorating ideas. There is almost always one recipe that I try each month from the magazine. This recipe was one that I just had to try. It was so delicious that I knew I needed to make a healthier version so that I could enjoy it often. Now I make it at the beginning of the week and have it for lunch several days a week. Head on over to the Southern Living website to find the original recipe. If you're wanting something a little more light, try my makeover recipe!

You'll need:

1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 (16-oz.) package whole wheat pasta
1 pound fresh broccoli
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. sugar
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
8 cooked turkey bacon slices, crumbled

Here is the recipe that I used! To make it healthier, I switched out regular pasta for whole wheat, cut the mayonnaise and sugar down, and...

used turkey bacon! Turkey bacon is really tasty and is so much better for you than pork bacon. We love this turkey bacon and use it often.

 Cook your pasta according to the package directions. Set it aside and allow it to cool. Cook the bacon and then break into small pieces. Set aside.

Halve your grapes, chop the pecans, cut up the onion, and chop your broccoli. Make sure you don't include much of the stalks from the broccoli. Since it's served raw, they are pretty tough. Set all of these things to the side in a separate bowl, keeping your pecans separate.

 

Now, to make the dressing. Mix together the salt, sugar, mayonnaise, and vinegar.  Once the pasta has cooled, mix together the broccoli, grapes, onions, and dressing together.

Allow to sit for at least an hour in the fridge. Mix in the bacon and pecans right before serving!

Company Green Beans

 Green beans can be really boring. These are my company green beans because they are good enough for company... and far from boring. This recipe feeds about 3-4 people. It can easily be doubled/tripled depending on how many people you're trying to serve.

To make this recipe, you'll need:

Green Beans (You can use fresh or whole frozen beans, if using frozen make sure you thaw them out all the way)

1 garlic clove

1 tsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper 

1 tbsp. slivered almonds

 

 Wash your beans and let them dry.

 

 In the mean time, chop one clove of garlic into small pieces. You can also use the garlic in a jar. Heat olive oil in a small pan over medium heat.

 Start cooking the garlic in the oil for about 3 minutes. Garlic burns really easy, so make sure to stir often.

 Make sure your beans are very dry by placing them between two paper towels. 

If you don't like pieces of garlic, you can use a slotted spoon to remove the pieces from the oil. Most of the flavor has been infused into oil. You can also leave the garlic. It works either way! Now you're ready to add the beans. Sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper on the beans. Stir and saute for about 10 minutes. Add almonds and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes.

 Put in a serving dish and you're ready to enjoy!

Things I love about Summer... Part 2

Something else that I love about Summer is....

OKRA

I am absolutely head over heels in love with okra! As any Southern girl should be, I suppose. There is something so relaxing about spending a couple of hours in my grandparents' garden with them just talking and cutting okra. If you don't have a garden to get fresh okra from, have no fear! You can stop by a produce stand during the summer months and pick up some!

Some people complain about the ooey-gooey-ness of okra. But, with these recipes, you're sure to enjoy this little Southern gem.

My top 3 favorite things to do with okra:
1. Fry it! Everything is better fried, right? Cut the tops and bottoms off of the okra and discard. Cut the okra into small slices and sprinkle corn meal on it stirring to ensure that all piece are coated lightly. In a skillet, heat up about 4 tbsp. of canola oil. Once the oil is hot, toss in the okra. Let the okra cook for about 30 minutes, turning over about every 10 minutes. Cook it until its dark brown and crispy. If the pan is dry, add a little bit more oil as needed.

2. Put it in vegetable soup! I love fresh veggie soup, so much that I freeze it also! Add some sliced okra to your normal veggie soup at the beginning.

3. Grill it! During the summer, I hardly ever use my stove. The grill is where it's at! Take okra and cut the tops off. Slice down the center long ways. Spray with some non-stick olive oil spray, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and put on the grill. Let it grill about about 4 minutes on each side.

Do you have any other delicious ideas for okra?