Menu For the Rest of August

Tell me about your menu problems.

We ate out this past weekend for a date night treat and there’s nothing worse than spending 25$ and finding that you can’t stand the Pho. We got veggie broth because it was the only thing without MSG, and it was lackluster at best.

I was kicking myself for thinking I could eat soup of any kind out again – or out of a can again – after having it for so many years with home made chicken broth. Trust me on this – home made chicken broth has revolutionized not only our taste buds and our wallets, but it has also drastically reduced the amount of chemicals we eat from processed foods. I can’t remember the last soup can I opened.

And so, here I am again, delving in to the menu plans to prevent another lapse of date-night reason. I’d rather eat at home and go out for coffee. Scratch that, I like our coffee better, too. I’d rather eat at home, take a mug of coffee to go, and stop at a book store or a movie (sans the nasty plastic-margarine-covered popcorn & soda). Or if my husband had his way, we’d just have date night Saturday afternoon at the range… or hiking somewhere that rattlesnakes frequent.

This menu may have taken me an entire day (between other tasks) to finish, but I’m going to be loving the next two weeks if we manage to get everything on my list made and eaten. I shopped the pantry – shopped the fridge – and shopped the freezer. I made a list and checked it twice.

I wrote down all the strange ingredients that needed some recipe love – and then I hit Pinterest hard!

The result? A menu fit for a king! And a grocery list for the next two weeks (minus the little things you run out of) that won’t break the bank, hopefully.

 

Here’s the fleshed out version of my August Menu:

MENU PLANS:

8/18 – MON/Today

B –  organic corn flakes & milk, Vitamins/Supplements

L – chicken sausage, potatoes, onion, red pepper, leek & olive oil skillet, boys had bacon/eggs/cheese sticks

D – Oatmeal

S – Baked spiced pears with butter, chocolate and milk

Notes: Finish making menu out, researching recipes, thaw deer meat, soak beans & buckwheat, get the dishes cleaned up before bed (yuck – the kitchen looks like a bomb went off)

 

8/19 – TUE/Tomorrow

B – Ginger Peach Scones (Paleo), Coffee or Dandy Blend, Milk, Vitamins/Supplements (Cookbook)

L  – Smoked Gouda Poppers, Turkey Mozzarella Sun-dried Tomato Roll-ups (Pinterest/Magazine), Kombucha

D – Cheese Enchiladas, Black Beans, Spanish Rice w/ Corn Salsa

S – Popcorn during movie, Banana Ice Cream (magazine), Hummus & Chips, Pickles

Note: Thaw Whole Chicken & New Mexico Chili sauce (AM) Cut up peaches (AM), Make Paleo Mayo (Pinterest), make buckwheat batter

 

8/20 – WED

B – Buckwheat Pancakes w/ honey or maple syrup, Vitamins/Supplements (friend)

L – Deer Dirty Rice, Cauliflower Fennel Gratin (Pinterest)

D – Baked Potatoes w/ Bacon, Leftover Dirty Rice, Salad

S – Pear Tart (magazine), Raisins, Havarti slices

Notes: Thaw Friday’s Chicken for the Smoker

 

8/21 – THUR

B – Eggs, Turkey Bacon, Ruta Maya Decaf Espresso w/ Raw Milk Froth (thanks Barbara!), Vitamins/Supplements

L – Teriyaki Soba Noodle Stir Fry, Lychee Chia Coconut Cooler (Pinterest)

D – Deer Sausage with Leek-Apple Cabbage Sauté (Pinterest), Stuffed Swiss Covered Mushrooms

S – Applesauce, Cashews

Notes: Make Peach Cream Pops (Pinterest), Swiffer Kitchen

 

8/22 – FRI

B – Oatmeal, Water, Vitamins/Supplements

L – Roast Chicken, Bell Pepper Goat Cheese Strata, Buckwheat Crepes w/ Poblano Corn Slaw & Cotija (Pinterest)

D – Smoked Chicken, Sautéed Green Beans, Veggie Potato Salad, Watermelon, Blackberry Lemonade (Pinterest)

S – Peach Cream Pops, Leftovers

Notes: Thaw Chicken for Sunday, Make Broth

 

8/23 – SAT

B – Blueberry Paleo Muffins, Milk, Vitamins/Supplements (cookbook)

L – Slow-cooked Lentil Veggie Stew, Lavender Lemon Sorbet (Pinterest/Magazine)

D – Chicken Verde Enchiladas, Chipotle Lime-Cilantro Rice, Leftover Black-beans

S – Organic Red Popcorn from Missouri (thanks Christi!), Chocolate, Milk, Bananas

Notes: Clean out refrigerator, Update inventory, Research recipes & make grocery list for next week

 

8/24 – SUN

B – Cereal (brown rice, flax, or organic cornflakes) / Leftovers, Vitamins/Supplements, Water

L – Roast Poblano Soup, Nacho Cheese Dip & Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips (Pinterest)

D – Mee Krob, Thai Coconut Chicken Soup, Thai Salad, Thai Tea

S – Peach Crunch Dump Cake (Pinterest)

Notes: Crack Pecans, Soak Beans, Purchase produce for salads if we are out, Communion

 

8/25 – MON

B – Blueberry Almond Struesel Muffins, Milk, Vitamins/Supplements (Pinterest)

L – Gluten Free Pizza

D – Lentil Tacos, Spanish Rice, Refried or Charro Beans

S – Bananas, Mixed Fruit, Nuts or Larabar

Notes: Make Truffles, soak chickpeas

 

8/26 – TUE

B – Quick Grits, Water, Vitamins/Supplements

L – Greek Lentil/Orzo Salad, Home Made Hummus, Seed Crackers, Veggie Crisps & Chips

D – Persian Roasted Chicken w/ Cherry & Saffron Rice (Pinterest), Lebanese Tomato Cucumber Salad, Peas

S – Kombucha Peach Fizz Float, Home made Dark Chocolate Truffles w/ cacao nibs (Pinterest/Cookbook)

Notes: Inventory and menu planning prep for next week

 

8/27 – WED

B – Black Raspberry Paleo Jelly Scones (cookbook), Water, Vitamins/Supplements

L – Pizza Salad w/ Organic Mozerella (magazine), Veggie Crisps, Lemonade

D – Roast Spatchcocked Chicken (friend), Rosemary Potatoes, Campfire White Beans – altered (Pinterest)

S – Carrots, Berries

Notes: Make Broth, Make Granola Bars for tomorrow

 

8/28 – THUR

B – Almond Banana Honey Granola Bars (magazine), Milk or Coffee, Vitamins & Supplements, Water

L – Risotto, Collard Greens w/ Bacon Grease (friend)

D – Salmon Croquettes (mom), Brown Rice Pilaf w/ herb butter, Broccoli & Cheese Sauce

S – Cheese, Nuts, Leftover sweets or chocolate & milk

Notes: Make sure we have sprouted bread thawed

 

8/29 – FRI

B – Leftovers, Coffee or Dandy Blend, Vitamins & Supplements, Water

L – Sandwiches, Chips, Hummus, Pickles

D – Beef Stroganoff, Egg Noodles (brown rice for me), … sides?

S – ?

 

8/30 – SAT

B – Paleo-friendly Pancakes & Turkey Bacon, Coffee, Vitamins & Supplements (cookbook)

L – Beer Brined Chicken (Blackened/Grilled), Potato Salad, something green…? (Pinterest)

D – Vietnamese Pho – home made (alter recipe from Houston Chronicle) or alter a Paleo version I found online.

S – ?

Notes: Come up with Indian meal for tomorrow

 

8/31 – SUN

B – Bacon & Eggs, Water, Coffee, Vitamins & Supplements

L – Spanish Paella w/ Brown Rice, Chorizo & Chicken, Paleo Sugar Cookies

D – Indian Food Meal

S – Indian Rice Pudding (a very non-Paleo white rice addiction that I eat once or twice a year)

Notes : New blog post with next 2 weeks menu!

 

That ought to keep me busy in the kitchen. I’m off to get my soaking and cutting done before bed at midnight!