I'm not sure what I used to do before I came up with a running list before going grocery shopping. I still end up having to throw some things away. However, it is far less waste than before when I'd just go and wing it. Things definitely changed after I got married and more so after having children. Frozen dinners and ordering out aren't the best options anymore. It gets expensive! So now I come up with a weekly dinner menu and I make sure to add what I need to the list I've been keeping since my last trip to the grocery store. I kind of like knowing what the plan is for the week. One less thing to think about.
I don't do it by day. I do it based on how many days until I plan to go to the store again. It's not easy to come up with a weekly menu and I some times stray. Maybe I don't feel like having what I was planning on or I just want good old greasy pizza or Chinese food. Or, I'm just lazy and we'll be doing a "figure it out yourself" night and my toddler will have the tried and true peanut butter and jelly.
Some times, I will try to be adventurous. Usually though, I try to figure out what I can make that could last two days, what I can use up that is already in my house, or not take much time since my patience might be shot by the time making dinner rolls around. It's also good to have things I can prepare in advance, like during nap time, and cook later. I definitely like to have a variety of things and keep it balanced during the week. Maybe fish one night, pasta another, something with meat, etc.
Eggplant Parm with a twist - This crock pot recipe calls for Feta, instead of Parmesan, but I sprinkled some on top before cooking it. I love cheese! My husband does not like eggplant so since he is out of town, I will be making this for myself and my sister. Maybe my toddler will try it. Maybe. :-/
Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Shepard's Pie - This is another crock pot recipe from the same website as the Eggplant dish above. This will be the first time I am trying it. I will post about it though.
Salad - I recently went to a Dove Chocolate party. Yup, like Dove Dove. Yum! We tried out some of the products, including a chocolate martini which was DELICIOUS, and I thought the White Chocolate Raspberry Vinaigrette sounded good too. I do love me some white chocolate so we'll see how that goes. I'm still trying to figure out what to put in this salad. I'm thinking it'll be something like spinach, strawberries, sliced almonds, goat cheese....
Tuna Noodle Casserole - My husband and I make this often. I've gotten to the point where I kind of change it every time so its never exactly the same. That's the confidence I've gained by playing around in the kitchen more. I don't stray from recipes too much though. I'm still a little nervous about that.
Generally, here's what you would need:
1 large can of tuna
Small bag of frozen green beans
Salt to taste (I try not to cook with salt too much since you can't really taste it and you end up adding to it when you're eating anyway.)
1 can of reduced sodium cream of mushroom (or chicken) soup
Egg noodles (or any kind of noodle you prefer.) This week I'll be using Fusilli.
About 1/2 cup of milk. I usually just pour it in until I like the consistency.
Large can of fried onions
(Optional) Shredded cheese and/or bread crumbs to add to the mixture for added taste and consistency
Cook the pasta and add the peas in a few minutes toward the end of cooking to soften them up a bit. Drain pasta and mix all ingredients together before placing into a casserole dish. Bake 30 minutes @ 350 degrees.
Super easy, very tasty, and there will be leftovers since it makes a full 9X13 casserole dish worth.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup in bread bowls - I know I made chicken pot pies last week but I was craving a soup and I wanted a chicken dish. I have not tried this before but it looks pretty good. We have frozen bread dough in our freezer that we turn into bread bowls so we'll do that. I'm kind of excited about this one.
Enjoy!!!
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