Menu Plan Monday - Week 44

We made it!  We ate in all our dinners in October at home except for a few freebies we scored with family, and one dinner at Chick-Fil-A after a softball game.  We plan to try and stay on this kick, except plug back in the weekly date-night-out.  We usually eat at places that are 1) relatively cheap (ie mexican) or 2) leave us with leftovers, so we get more than one meal... so we can justify that once a week treat.  Plus, my creativity in meal planning can only take so much!  We're gonna celebrate our month long eating in by eating out on Halloween!

10.31.11 - Celebrating Halloween at Real Mexico (that's right, we're avoiding trick-or-treaters)
11.1.11 - Parmesan Encrusted Chicken & Pasta Salad
11.2.11 - Pulled Chicken BBQ Sandwiches(recipe coming soon!) w/ Potato Salad & Coleslaw -- also my sister's b-day... happy birthday marian!
11.3.11 - Leftovers (Ryan has softball double-header)
11.4.11 - Team-in-Training Inspiration Dinner in Savannah!
11.5.11 - Celebrating after Rock'N'Roll Savannah!
11.6.11 - TBD when we get back to town

Breakfast or Breakfast for Dinner - Hashbrown & Sausage Casserole

Well, I meant to take a picture, but my casserole was DEVOURED this morning in Sunday School.  I always debate what to take when it is our turn to take breakfast, because it is always so hit-or-miss what people will eat, and what you'll end up with a ton of leftovers to take home with you.  So far in our history, we've taken home a bag full of bagels and a dozen krispy kremes (not that I'm complaining), but I wanted to try something a little different today, so I made my friend Lorraine's Sausage & Hashbrown Casserole recipe. We've made this for breakfast tailgates and also "breakfast for dinner" and it turns out wonderfully, every time!

Here's what you need:
1 bag southern style frozen hashbrowns
2 cups cheddar cheese
1-2 pounds (depending on how much you like) breakfast sausage
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sourcream
1/4 cup onion chopped

Directions:
Brown sausage and onion together in a skillet, drain off extra grease.  Mix all ingredients except 1 cup of cheese and spread in greased casserole pan.  Top with remaining cup of cheese. Cook at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until browned to your liking.

If we have another early football game this year, this is definitely what I'll be making for the tailgate!

Menu Plan Monday - Week 43

10.24.11 - Ryan's Favorite Chicken Chili
10.25.11 - Grilling
10.26.11 - Baked Ziti
10.27.11 - Leftovers or Breakfast for Dinner
10.28.11 - Pre-Running Pasta (only one week until Rock'N'Roll Savannah!)
10.29.11 - Celebrating Ryan's dad's b-day... probably grilling!
10.30.11 - TBA

Menu Plan Monday - Week 42 (day late...)

Had a menu plan yesterday but never got around to posting it.  Good thing since the rain ruined tonight's plan to grill, so things had to be re-arranged!  Here's the updated plan...


10.17.11 - Homemade pizza
10.18.11 - Smothered Beef & Bean Enchilada Casserole
10.19.11 - Shredded Chicken BBQ Sandwiches w/ Cole Slaw & Potato Salad
10.20.11 - Country Style Pork Ribs on the grill & Roasted Potatoes
10.21.11 - Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce
10.22.11 - Leftovers
10.23.11 - Cheesy Chicken & Corn Chowder

Oreo & Peanut Butter (or Nutella) Stuffed Brownies

I have a gazillion recipe blogs loaded into my google reader.... plus, I have my sweet friend Leigh who emails me the top 10 recipes she's found throughout the week every Friday.  Seriously, there are so many great cooks out there posting their recipes, it's difficult to decide which ones to make first!  When I first read this recipe on Picky Palate, I immediately emailed it to my co-worker who loves all things peanut butter and chocolate.  Since I have a peanut allergy, I was pretty disheartened because this would add another item to the list of treats that I just couldn't enjoy! 

When I was planning dessert for our tailgate one weekend this fall, I got to thinking, perhaps there's a way for me to have these afterall!  I whipped up a double-batch, making half with peanut butter and half with Nutella.  (Pink cupcake liners for Peanut Butter, so I don't accidentally bite into the wrong one.)

This is one of the EASIEST recipes I've made lately, too. All you need is a box brownie mix, Oreos, and your choice Peanut Butter, Nutella, or both.  Line your muffin tin with cupcake liners, stack two oreos together with a dab of peanut butter in the middle and on top, then pour on the brownie mix!  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until brownies are done, let cool & serve!  We ate these at tailgate, but if I were eating them at home, I'd pour up a LARGE glass of milk to go with them!

a few things I know today...

1. crockpot shredded beef tacos are one of the best recipes i've ever found on the internet.  seriously. inhaled them Sunday night and DEVOURED my lunch plate today.

 

2. i may not be able to walk tomorrow.  since i've started running, all my squats/lunges/leg strengthening has gone out the window.  natalie brought that back with a bang at pilates torture tuesday today.

 

3. crockpot shredded beef tacos were my reward for resisting the temptation of skipping pilates and eating out with friends from work

 

4. on most days, especially today, diet coke saves me from my post-lunch need for a nap :)

Menu Plan Monday - Week 41

I was just thinking about Christmas and how it is CREEPING up on me.  This is the 41st week of menu planning, and that means we are only 11 weeks away from the end of the year!

Our Menu this week..

10.10.11 - Leftovers & Jewelry Party, I'm making "Poor Man's Brie" with puff pastry & cream cheese
10.11.11 - Homemade Pizza or Calzones
10.12.11 - Grilling Steak w/ Roasted Potatoes
10.13.11 - PW's Chicken Spaghetti
10.14.11 - Girls Mountain Weekend - Hubby on his own
10.15.11 - Girls Mountain Weekend - Hubby on his own
10.16.11 - Girls Mountain Weekend - Hubby on his own

Back on Track - Menu Plan Week 40

We're back on track with our menu plan this week, and actually for the month of October, giving ourselves a little challenge.  In order to both save money and create some better eating habits, we're committing to not eating out for dinner in the month.  (Eating out = restaurants and to-go restaurant food that we have to buy in addition to groceries.  Free eating out is alright in our book, so we'll still do that if the opportunity comes our way.)   We hope that eating at home will also help us to pack our leftovers more for lunch at work, therefore equal less eating out for lunch, too!  I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

For our first week I've included this weekend since it's part of October....
10.1.11 - USC vs. Auburn (came home and drowned our sorrows in random leftovers)
10.2.11 - Chili dinner w/ friends... and I'm making PW's Apple Dumplings for dessert (yum!)
10.3.11 - Breakfast for dinner --- one of my FAVORITE cool weather meals
10.4.11 - Grilled Pork Chops & Sweet Potatoes
10.5.11 - Baked Ziti & Salads
10.6.11 - California Turkey Burgers & Homemade Guacamole with Chips
10.7.11 - Leftovers
10.8.11 - USC vs. UK Tailgate food
10.9.11 - Shredded beef tacos for crockpot