Menu Monday ~ April 25, 2016

April 25, 2016 By Deanna Piercy 3 Comments

It seems like ages since I planned a menu. We were out of town for a full two weeks and now I’m trying to get back into the usual routine again. I’ve still got partially unpacked suitcases on the floor and a to-do list a mile long! Let’s start with this week’s menu, shall we? And then I’ll tackle those suitcases…

Dee’s Menu

Monday:

I made spaghetti for our dinner last night and have leftover sauce. I’ll use it to make a casserole tonight.

baked penne pasta casserole
tossed green salad
garlic bread

Tuesday:

Just before we left for our vacation I ran into a friend in town. She and her husband have been dear friends for years but we’ve all been so busy we haven’t gotten together in months. Right then and there we pulled out our phones and scheduled a dinner date. There are some serious storms predicted but I’m hoping they won’t affect our plans to go out this night!

Wednesday:

roast in the slow cooker
mashed potatoes and gravy
salad
green beans

Thursday:

I’ll shred some of the leftover roast for the tacos.

tacos (shredded beef in fried corn tortillas)
lettuce, tomato, green onion, sour cream, hot sauce
seasoned rice
refried beans

Friday:

Sweet Chili Pineapple Chicken (crockpot)
rice

Saturday:

grilled burgers
lettuce, tomato and all the other usual toppings
French fries
baked beans

Sunday:

We’ll do the usual – eat Mexican food after church and save half for dinner.

~~~~~

What’s on your menu this week?

Friday’s dinner is from Bren at Bren Did. Check our her blog for more
great recipes and lots of fun craft and DIY projects.

My Menu?

January 12, 2010 By Deanna Piercy Leave a Comment

If you’re wondering where my weekly menu is, you can find it at my new blog, Dee’s Kitchen. In addition to the menus, you will find all sorts of food-related information, recipes, guest posts, cookbook reviews, etc. Eventually. 😉 Check it out and tell your friends. And if you have any suggestions for what you’d like to see included, do let me know. It’s still in its infancy and seeking direction.

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Menu Plan Monday…

December 28, 2009 By Deanna Piercy Leave a Comment

Click graphic above for more menu ideas.

I bravely stepped on the scale this morning. I knew it would be bad but figured it was time to face the music following the Christmas feasting. Yeah. About what I expected. Back to daily treadmill and Wii Fit time, as well as more moderate eating. Sigh…

Monday:

red beans (vegetarian for Chris and me; with leftover ham for David)
brown rice
corn bread
tossed green salad with dried cranberries

Tuesday:

lentil soup
grilled cheese sandwiches
fresh fruit smoothies

Wednesday:

vegetarian paella
salad
garlic bread

Thursday:

New Year’s Eve! We are taking our kids to Oklahoma City for The Flaming Lips concert and then spending the night. We will eat out somewhere first.

Friday:

(Chris is often out with friends on Friday nights so I’m not planning a vegetarian meal.)

organic chicken breasts – baked lemon/pepper-style
baked potatoes
whiskey glazed carrots
green salad

Saturday:

probably out with friends

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Menu Plan Monday and the Week Ahead…

December 21, 2009 By Deanna Piercy 7 Comments

Check out The Organized Junkie for more menu ideas.

I simply cannot wrap my head around the notion that Christmas is Friday. THIS FRIDAY! How did that happen??? I finally got the tree decorated last night. Today I will be finishing all the decorating and cleaning the house. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise. 😉

Tomorrow I have to go to town to pick up my bi-weekly organic produce order (my refrigerator is full; wherever will I put it???). I’m going to make one final stop at the grocery store for a few items and then one other errand which I can’t mention because my husband and kids read my blog. And it’s Christmas. Shh…don’t ask questions. After those morning errands I am then going to complete my gift wrapping while watching “Miracle on 31st Street”. I haven’t decided which version, yet.

Wednesday evening is our final Advent service of the year and I will again be assisting our pastor in serving communion. I then have choir rehearsal, as well as a short rehearsal for a small, women’s ensemble that will sing Christmas Eve. If I’m really productive and stay on task today and tomorrow, I just might be able to spend a few hours during the day on Wednesday simply soaking up the Christmas spirit. I’d love to relax with a Christmas-themed book, listen to some holiday music, watch a Christmas movie and maybe even catch a short nap. Hey, a girl can dream.

Thursday is Christmas Eve. Yes, I have a knack for stating the obvious. Our extended family will gather for lunch and gifts for the kiddos at noon at my cousin’s house. God bless her; she’s been willing to host this, and other family gatherings, for several years now. I sometimes wonder if they regret building such a big house. 😉 We have decided to forgo the big, traditional meal (which we just did at Thanksgiving) in favor of finger foods. We’ll likely spend a few hours together and then back home to get ready for our candlelight Christmas Eve service at 8 p.m. I have to be there at 7 for one final choir rehearsal. This service is the highlight of my holiday. It’s a beautiful service and no matter how hectic things might have been up to that point, when the congregation sings “Silent Night” together in a darkened church, each of us holding a lit candle…well…somehow the stress melts away and it is indeed finally Christmas.

On Christmas morning, our daughter and son-in-law will come over early to have breakfast and open gifts with us. Of course, our son is here, too. We all love this relaxed and fun time together. Lisa and Justin then go back to their house to celebrate with Justin’s parents. David, Chris and I will then go to my parents’ around 1 p.m. for lunch and gift opening with them. I haven’t heard yet if my brother and his family will be there but I’m guessing they will be. I do know that my other brother who lives in the Tulsa area is working so they won’t be able to join us. That’s why we went to their house to celebrate Saturday before last.

I’m really looking forward to Saturday. All the going and doing will be over and we can spend the day enjoying our Christmas decorations and new gifts, watching movies, napping and eating. I plan to cook a small turkey breast that day and maybe I’ll bake something special, too.

I suspect there won’t be a lot of people at church Sunday as many will be out of town, but we will be there. I’ve actually always liked the Sunday after Christmas. It just seems so quiet and still after the hustle and bustle of the holidays. It’s a good time to catch my breath and reflect on things.

And now…my menu for the week:

Monday:

lasagna roll-ups (vegetarian)
tossed green salad
toasted garlic bread

We will watch “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

Tuesday:

Chinese food (haven’t decided if I’ll cook or if we’ll get take-out)

We will watch “A Christmas Story”. If you’ve seen it, you’ll understand why we are having Chinese food.

Wednesday:

vegetarian green chile/sour cream enchiladas (I’ll try to share the recipe soon.)
refried beans
yellow rice
chips and salsa

Thursday:

lunch at my cousin’s
late supper after church service consisting of grilled hot dogs (veggie dogs for Chris) and homemade potato salad (we did this last year and decided to make it one of our weird traditions)

Last year we watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas” while eating our late supper and plan to do the same this year.

Friday:

Breakfast –

some type of breakfast casserole (haven’t decided yet)
natural, uncured bacon
canned orange rolls (Chris’ favorite and an annual treat)
fresh-squeezed orange juice and coffee

Late lunch at my parents’-

Honey Baked ham (mom)
potato casserole (mom)
layered salad (mom)

I’ll probably bring some homemade cranberry sauce, a vegetable and maybe some homemade rolls. Mom also ordered some pies from a local restaurant.

Saturday:

turkey
mashed potatoes and gravy
cranberry sauce
rolls
green beans and/or salad

Sunday:

turkey sandwiches
other leftovers

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Menu Plan Monday…

December 14, 2009 By Deanna Piercy 5 Comments

Click above for more menu ideas.

We did pretty well with our vegetarian eating last week. Chris ended up not being home Friday night so I added bacon to our “breakfast for dinner” meal but otherwise I did meatless meals all week.

Lisa and I went to Norman on Thursday and we hit a couple of health food/natural foods stores. I stocked up on organic rice, pasta, cheeses and frozen vegetables. I am basing my meals this week on items included in the organic produce box I picked up Tuesday. I’ve made eggplant parmigiana once many years ago but eggplant isn’t a vegetable I’m in the habit of buying. There was also a bunch of kale, something I’ve never cooked, nor even tasted. Because I’m not sure of the family reaction to it, I made sure there would be an additional vegetable plus a special dessert. We aren’t in the habit of having desserts but I have a surplus of organic apples so I figure this will be a fun way to use some of them.

Monday:

macaroni and cheese
roasted kale
candied carrots
apple cobbler or pie

Tuesday:

eggplant parmigiana
tossed green salad
garlic toast

Wednesday:

red beans and rice
andouille sausage
potato salad
bread or rolls

Thursday:

We are going Christmas caroling with the young adults group we lead and then out to dinner afterwards.

Friday:

cream of broccoli soup
homemade rolls
homemade chocolate chip cookies

Saturday:

We are celebrating the birthday of one of the people in our young adults group so we will be going out to eat and attending her party.

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Menu Plan Monday…

December 7, 2009 By Deanna Piercy 6 Comments

Click graphic above for lots more menu plans!

You may notice something different about our menus. Our son, Chris, has decided to go vegetarian…again. He has done this several times, starting at age 5 when he realized that the cows at Nana’s and Papa’s were the source of the hamburger on his plate. I’ve always indulged him in this, and also the time Lisa gave up meat for Lent. We aren’t huge meat eaters anyway, and even David is not one of those men who expects a big hunk of meat with every dinner. Chris is nearly 26 years old and capable of feeding himself so I don’t feel obligated to completely change our eating habits for him but I will try to accommodate him within reason.

I’ve been watching the documentary, Food, Inc. this past week so I was already primed to give up any meat that isn’t raised in a healthy, humane fashion. Until I make a trip to the nearest city, I don’t have any options for this sort of meat here in our little town. That means this week will be meatless. That’s okay, though. I have a decent collection of tasty vegetarian dishes and will be searching out some more (if you have any favorites that don’t include mushrooms or soy, please pass them along!). The other night I improvised my recipe for chicken enchiladas and made them without chicken or cream of chicken soup. All three of us agreed that they were better than the original recipe.

So, here’s my plan for the week:

Monday:

pasta casserole (leftover spaghetti sauce, veggies, pasta, cheese)
salad
homemade breadsticks

Tuesday:

Spanish Rice and Bean Pie*
cornbread
fresh veggies from the CSA box I will pick up that morning

Wednesday:

lentil rice casserole*
tortillas, grated cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, hot sauce
fresh fruit

Thursday:

large baked potatoes
chili beans, cheese, sour cream as toppings
candied carrots
salad

Friday:

French toast or pancakes
scrambled eggs
fruit smoothies

Saturday:

will probably go out to eat with friends

Spanish Rice and Bean Pie

2 cans beans (pinto, red, black, whatever)
1 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 c. water
1 chicken bouillon cube (or veggie bouillon)
3/4 c. uncooked rice
3/4 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. chopped green or red pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 c. cottage cheese
1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Drain beans, place in large bowl and add cumin. Stir to coat all beans with cumin. Set aside.
Bring water and bouillon cube to a boil. Add rice and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
Sauté green pepper and onion in butter until onion is tender. Add onion mixture and eggs to cooked rice. Oil a 9-inch pie pan and press rice mixture with spoon to form crust. Spread cottage cheese over crust and top with beans. Put shredded cheese on top. Bake at 325 degrees for 1/2 hour. Let it sit before cutting. Serve with hot sauce.

Note: This is the original recipe as given to me by a friend. I will substitute my homemade chicken broth from the freezer for the bouillon and water. Chris is okay with me using homemade chicken broth for now as I have quite a bit in the freezer. I will be making some vegetable broth soon, though.

Lentil Rice Casserole (A Sue Gregg Recipe):

3 c. hot water

1 T. chicken broth or veggie broth crystals (or two bouillon cubes) dissolved in the hot water

3/4 c. lentils

1/2 c. brown rice

3/4 c. chopped onion or 1/4 C instant minced onion

1/2 t. basil

1/4 t. oregano

1/4 t. thyme
1/4 garlic powder

Mix dry ingredients all together in a casserole dish, pour water/broth over it, cover tightly, and bake at 300 degrees for 2-2.5 hours, until water is absorbed. Remove cover for last 10 minutes and add shredded cheese to the top, if desired, to allow top to color a bit.

Note: Again, I will be using my homemade chicken broth in this. We like to serve this in heated, flour tortillas with cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and salsa or hot sauce. It smells wonderful when it is cooking!

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Menu Plan Monday…

November 30, 2009 By Deanna Piercy Leave a Comment

This is going to be a crazy week. I have a two-hour rehearsal tonight for “The Messiah” and then performances Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. On Thursday I am helping with a fund raiser for United Campus Ministry during lunch time and then have church choir rehearsal that evening. Consequently, meals are going to be of the “catch as catch can” variety and probably more eating out than usual. If you read my menus for inspiration I can only suggest you look elsewhere this week. 😉 You can click on the tags for previous menus or click on the graphic at the top of this post. That will take you to I’m an Organizing Junkie, the weekly host of Menu Plan Monday. There you will find ample inspiration. Until next week…

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Menu Plan Monday…

November 16, 2009 By Deanna Piercy 2 Comments

Click graphic above for more menu ideas.

Monday:

* roasted whole chicken
* potatoes, carrots and onions (roasted alongside chicken)
* green salad

Tuesday:

* chicken and rice casserole
* green beans
* homemade rolls

Wednesday:

* potato/onion/peas/smoked sausage casserole
* cornbread
* salad

Thursday:

* broccoli cheese soup
* leftover cornbread

Friday:

* veggie marinara sauce over:
* spaghetti squash
* salad
* garlic bread

Saturday:

* quesadillas
* homemade tomato bisque soup

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Menu Plan Monday…

November 9, 2009 By Deanna Piercy Leave a Comment

Click above for more menu plans.

David will be on a business trip Wednesday through Friday so I’m gifting myself with minimal cooking during that time.

Monday:

potatoes/peas/smoked sausage casserole (thanks to Penny for the idea)
tossed green salad with dried cranberries
green beans

Tuesday:

business dinner

Wednesday:

crockpot roast
potatoes, carrots and onions
salad

Thursday:

bbq beef sandwiches on homemade buns
coleslaw
baked beans

I made the buns the other day and have some in the freezer for this meal. I will also caramelize a sliced onion to add to the sandwiches.

Friday:

finish off leftovers

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Menu Plan Monday…

October 12, 2009 By Deanna Piercy 4 Comments

David just left on a business trip and will return Wednesday afternoon. I don’t generally cook much on Sundays but he spent the day working on the house out in the chilly weather so I thought he deserved a nice meal. I roasted a whole chicken along with red potatoes, organic carrots, onions and garlic. There are enough leftovers for me to make dinners for Chris and me the next two nights. The menu below is subject to change (isn’t it always?) because tomorrow I will pick up my first box of CSA organic produce. Yay! I have no idea what it will contain so my plans may change to utilize some of this produce.

I’m excited about this new opportunity to purchase organic produce in my little town. I don’t shop at Wal Mart, which from what I hear does carry at least a few organic fruits and veggies at times, and the store where I shop doesn’t have any. Sometimes I do some grocery shopping in the nearest city (over an hour away) and buy organics there but it’s not on a regular basis. I also am looking forward to the challenge of learning new recipes and ways of preparing vegetables I might not be as familiar with.

Next on my agenda will be to locate local sources for grass-fed beef, pastured chickens and natural pork. I have a chest freezer so I can purchase meat in quantity. If I could stock my freezer with meat that would be one fewer item on my weekly shopping list. I have eggs from my chickens, am trying to get back in the habit of baking all our own bread, and will now have the bi-weekly CSA boxes.

Monday:

chicken quesadillas on whole grain tortillas
homemade tomato soup

Tuesday:

homemade chicken noodle soup (made by boiling the chicken carcass and using the last bits of meat; might try making my own egg noodles)
crackers, cheese and fruit platter

Wednesday:

roast, carrots, potatoes, onion in the crockpot
salad

Thursday:

beef stroganoff over noodles
broccoli
salad

Friday:

homemade vegetable beef soup
cheddar cheese biscuits

Saturday:

out to dinner with friends

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