Meals for the Week: The Fast Begins

Lent starts this Wednesday, which means I'll be planning more strictly vegetarian meals this coming month. It's true that fish is permitted on Fridays in Lent - look around for all the fast food fish sandwich promotions right now - but I can't stand any and all seafood. Just the smell turns my stomach.

Argue all you want that fresh fish doesn't smell. It just doesn't smell to you. I don't even like the smell of the ocean.

Besides, it always seemed strange to me that I was expected to not call chicken "meat" (it's poultry!), except as far as the "no meat on Fridays" tradition went. In that case, my childhood definition of meat, food from a dead animal, applied, except in the case of fish. Frankly, I didn't see why fish got a pass. I thought my parents were joking at first.

I don't have much problem coming up with vegetarian options. The hardest part is simply remembering to avoid using minor things like chicken broth in soup.

Monday
Bacon omelet sandwiches with cheese
Tater tots
Orange wedges

Tuesday
Meatloaf
Boiled potatoes
Salad

Wednesday
Vegetarian black bean soup
Rolls
Salad

Thursday
Pasta salad

Friday
Veggie burgers
Fries

Saturday
Beef fajitas
Rice pilaf

Sunday
No plan yet. New month, new grocery budget . . .

Meals for the Week: Cooking From the Pantry

I have a large amount of food stocked up now that it's mid-month, which means it's time to stop stocking up for the month. It's tough to turn away from the great deals on products we use regularly, but if I don't keep myself from buying ahead for at least a couple weeks each month I'll end up spending more than I should. After all, what's the point of "saving" when I'm just going to spend more?

Using what I have on hand (basics like chicken breasts and pasta as well as long-lasting pantry items like mayonnaise and hot sauce), I can create enough meals for the next two weeks. That is, with the addition of a little fresh produce for salads.

Monday
Hamburgers
Fries
Salad

Tuesday
Buffalo chicken tacos with blue cheese
Frozen veggies
Salad

Wednesday
Baked potato soup
Rolls
Salad

Thursday
Sandwiches
Creamy tomato soup
Salad

Friday
Bacon and onion pizza
Salad

Saturday
Baked chicken schnitzel
Frozen veggies
Chicken rice
Salad

Sunday
Annie’s Favorite Pasta
Rolls
Salad

Meals for the Week: Joy of Cooking Edition

I've been pouring over my 75th-anniversary copy of Joy of Cooking lately, marking off classic recipes I'd like to try. To me, there seems to be a surprising amount of convenience-food cooking in Joy, but I grew up with the 90s edition in the house rather than the classic version. Our Joy had a culinary-school pedigree that the new version tries to disavow.

I don't care much either way, honestly. Some days, I feel strongly the importance of using natural ingredients, and those days I stock my freezer with homemade rolls and meatballs. Other days, when I just would rather not devote two hours to making dinner from scratch, I feel grateful for frozen fries and canned creamy soup.

Monday
Whole-grain pancakes
Turkey breakfast sausage
Navel, Cara Cara, and blood oranges
Baked tater tots

Tuesday
Turkey meatball soup
Rolls
Salad

Wednesday
Crepes with chicken, apples, and blue cheese (a Joy recipe)
Frozen veggie mix
Salad

Thursday
Beef tacos
Mexican rice
Black and kidney bean salad

Friday
Sandwiches
Crinkle fries
Salad

Saturday (Valentine's Day)
Rib steak
Potatoes au gratin
Creamed corn
Rolls
Caesar salad

Sunday
Creamed chicken and broccoli over rice
Salad

Fixed Links for the Numbers Template

Oops.

Apparently, the links for my Numbers meal planning templates were sending up errors. Thanks to the folks who let me know!

The links are now updated and should allow you to download the ZIP files. Visit the Numbers meal planner post to download them.

Monday Meal Planning: Second Tuesday Edition

I've built up a big store of sale meats in the freezer, so it's time to stop frequenting the firesale section of the meat department, I think.

I'm making a concerted effort still to use what I have so I can continue buying just sale items (aside from produce). The tough part is thinking up recipes that don't require just one or two more items. That's how spending sneaks up on me.

Monday
Tofu stir-fry
Rice
Egg drop soup

Tuesday
Pot roast
Carrots and onions
Mashed potatoes
Salad

Wednesday
Macaroni and cheese
Veggie mix
Salad

Thursday
Chicken and rice soup
Rolls
Salad

Friday
Tomoto-garlic pizza
Salad

Saturday
Deconstructed lasagna
Garlic bread
Salad

Sunday
Baked salsa and bean frittata
Sweet potato fries
Salad