Sunday:  Sunday night Spaghetti! We are not Italian but we like our Italian-style Sunday night dinners. One of the my favorite scenes from The Sopranos were the Sunday night dinners! Yes, this Jersey girl LOVES the Sopranos! I love mafia/mob/organized crime movies and shows!

Monday:  Chili-rubbed Pork chops (new recipe from Food Network magazine) with a mexican rice dish (rice with corn, beans, salsa, and enchilada sauce)

Tuesday: Bubbles and Squeak! Big Man is crazing a St. Patty’s meal and I hate ham and cabbage! I like cabbage but not all boiled and soggy…eww! Bubbles & Squeak sounds like the best of both worlds! and I really like the name!

Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner!! Another family favorite!! Since it is a karate night (and also a C25K training day for me) breakfast is the perfect option! The kid has requested Cream Chipped Beef – not my fave but I will make it for her!!

Thursday: Pizza CheeseSteaks! I love homemade cheesesteaks! They are quickly becoming a family favorite! The best part is we really like my version better than take-out so we refuse to order cheesesteaks anymore. I know cheesesteaks are not exactly healthy but my version is extremely low in fat (compared to the original) and I use LF cheese (or laughing cow) and LOADS of veggies! Oven fries are a definite part of this meal!! I use potatoes, PAM, salt & pepper! Simple and yummy!

Friday:  Cajun Marinated Shrimp & Steak (Big Man has come around to my way of thinking! We are sharing a nice steak!) with a potato & pepper hash.

Menu planning has become part of my weekend routine. Big Man and I usually sit on Sunday with a cup of coffee and the weekly sales ads. This week, we have a very tight budget! Basically, we need to spend as little as possible. The freezer and the pantry are well stocked so it was not too hard planning-wise. All that is really needed at the grocery is cat & laundry supplies. And of course the trip to the produce store ~ must keep up with loads of veg and fruit!

Menu planning has helped me and my family in so many ways!! If you are not planning, why the heck not?!?! Try it!! Try it right now!! Try it for one week and you will be hooked!! Not sure how to start? Start here at my girl , Jenna’s place!! She has links to all kinds of menu planners. Read through some menus, get some ideas, menu plan for one week then come and tell me how it went!!

much love, Jen

I am so glad I started menu planning and even happier that @chivetalker started me out! Jenna has the best menu plans and menu planning friends. I link up every week and I always check out the other plans. You should try it too!!

Sunday – Crock Pot Beef Stew

Monday – Cheesesteaks, oven fries, and health salad

Tuesday – Italian Crock Pot chicken. Tuesdays nights the kid has karate from 6-7 and the crockpot is a lifesaver!! We eat a nice healthy meal before karate and no one has to rush to get dinner on the table by 5. I was looking for a new chicken crock pot recipe when the husband called to me from the kitchen to tell me he found a packet. He found a McCormick seasoning packet for Italian Crock Pot Chicken – chicken parts, mushrooms, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth and seasoning packet.  I am going add chunks of zucchini and yellow squash and probably serve the whole thing over pasta.

Wednesday – Big Man Chili. This is one of those recipes that I don’t even want to know! It is loaded with whatever peppers Big Man can get his hands on.  I usually do not eat too much of this since it is hot but I do love it!! I am just sensitive!! {I hear Biz laughing at me as she reads this!!} I decided  that baked potatoes would be the perfect addition. I will have my chili right on top!

Thursday – Chicken & Green Beans Stirfry

Friday – Pork Tenderloin with homemade German sauer kraut and mashed potatoes.

Now, that I have the menu planned I can make a list for the grocery and produce stores. I start my plan by taking a quick inventory of the pantry and freezer so the grocery list is not a huge one (unless the sales ad has lots of goodies) and we will hit the produce stand tomorrow and again later in the week.  Tomorrow I will also be making a WW zero-point soup so I need to get lots of extra veggies.  We will have the soup with dinner instead of salads this week. I need a switch up from the salads!!

Are you menu planning yet?

and you all know I LOVE

On the menu this week:

Sunday: Spicy Seafood Stew On Friday night, before the snow hit, we all went to the grocery store. We just got some essentials in case we got hit. The seafood department had a great sale of scallops and they were beautiful! I came home and looked for just what to do with scallops. As the snow started I found this stew recipe. I added a shredded zucchini and a couple chopped up garlic cloves. I will tell you all about it after dinner!

Monday: Pork Cutlets with mashed potatoes and broccoli

Tuesday: Chicken something! I was gonna just wing this one but I have too much to do this week to not plan as much as possible!! I looked through some cookbooks and found a recipe called “Grandma’s Chicken and Dumplings” in a slow cooker cookbook! This particular cookbook is a Healthy Exchange book so it is a bit healthier – this recipe is under 300 calories. I will post a recipe and pictures if it is as good as it should be!

Wednesday: Sirloins

Thursday aka Christmas Eve ~ Dinner of the Seven Fishes at my mom’s house. I am not Italian but my mom’s last boyfriend was very Italian-American and he introduced us to the Italian Christmas Eve tradition and while he may be gone the tradition stays! Oh I can’t wait!! I love seafood and this is like seafood yumminess overload!! Seared Ahi, Fried Calamari, Salmon, Crabcakes, Mussels, Clams, oh my!!

Friday aka MY FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR aka CHRISTMAS: I love Christmas. It is the best day! I have food all day and family and friends visit all day. Food is easy, non-fussy picky foods. The day will start with a brunch that I will have pretty much prepared ahead of time. Lunch will be cookies & more brunch and dinner will be a Glazed Ham and crockpot Macaroni & Cheese and coleslaw.

Saturday:  I am figuring this going to be a busy day. We are going to the mountains on Sunday so we have to pack. We will be staying in a cabin so we will have a menu for next week and I will prep as much ahead of time as I can!

Menu Planning, are you doing it?

I cannot believe how many benefits there are to menu planning?!?! It has helped my family stay on budget and it has helped to lose weight. I never realized how much we ordered out… I had no idea how often we were scrambling with the “what are we gonna make for dinner?” … I have since learned that the grocery store is not as evil when you really have a plan and a list!

Planning my menu has helped my family in many ways and I owe it all to Jenna (@chivetalker) and her Chive Talkin’ Menu Roll.

What?!?!

You haven’t joined Jenna’s menu roll?

What are you waiting for?

Check IT out and I am sure you will not regret it!!

"I don't know where you buy your flour, but mine don't come seasoned!" Emeril Lagasse

dredge chicken thighs in seasoned flour, brown on both sides in about 2 tablespoons of canola oil

remove chicken, add can crushed tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, and basil. simmer on low.

add the chicken back into sauce

cut very small so they get soft quicker! into the pot they go!

everybody in the pot! lid on and simmer for 20 minutes.

if you so not own an immersion blender you are seriously missing out!! remove chicken and blend peppers mixture to desired texture/consistency.

I felt that mine needed more tomatoes so I added a big can of crushed tomatoes. this is definitely a taste thing.

cut the chicken into bite size pieces. chicken and mushrooms go into sauce to simmer while your pasta cooks and your mushrooms are desired doneness.

This recipe made a bunch!! 10 1-cup servings to be exact. According to WW (I used the recipe builder), 1 serving is 3 points.

my plate! 1 cup of spaghetti, 1 cup veggie ragu (7 points!)

We all had a salad without dinner!

The best part: my daughter loves spaghetti and chicken so she ate this up!! Plus she had a salad!! The kid is loaded with yummy, healthy veg and I didn’t have to fight her! (Q will eat any veg raw but almost none if they are cooked….shhh! don’t tell her she just ate tons of cooked veg!)

Second best part: Even though the boys ate up every bit of this, I have a half-serving and a nice salad for lunch tomorrow!

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