What meals would be on it? I got that tip from Family Fun and wanted to try it to keep my shopping/meal planning organized. I need to pick 21 meals that will be good. Some in family eat meat, some do not. Any ideas?

Erin :)

see, that's my problem...I only have about 4 meals :rolleyes: I'd love to have 21 different meals...so would my family.:p

Grilled stuff: hamburgers, brats, chicken

Baked Pork Steak (brown in skillet with seasoning and cover with BBQ sauce in baking dish. Cover baking dish tightly and bake for 2+ hrs on 300)

Meatloaf

parsley parmesean chicken

roast

usually add corn or green beans and some type of potato with it.

I'd LOVE To have 21 different meals too!

baked ziti/salad/garlic bread

pot roast/potatoes/veggies

baked pork chops/stuffing/veggies

meatloaf/mashed potatoes/veggies

honey mustard chicken/rice/veggies

crockpot chicken & noodles/veggies

grilled steak or chicken/corn on the cob/pasta salad

grilled cheese sandwiches and soup

chili and cornbread

black beans and rice

baked ham/scalloped potatoes/green beans

those are my standard recipes.

I would think you would want different meal plans for warm and cold weather, but then again I don't live in CA anymore. lol

The meat/non-meat aspect makes it harder for sure. Some things we eat regularly during warm weather:

soft tacos/taco salad/toastadas (can use beans, chicken or beef)
lots and lots of grilled fish with a huge salad
pasta salad with lots of added things - olives, cheese, tuna, chicken, tons of different veggies, etc.
homemade pizza with fresh herbs, veggies and nice cheese
grilled chicken, steak and/or veggies
grilled fajitas (chicken, beef, veggies, portobello mushrooms)
sandwiches on good bread with deli meats and cheese from whole foods and fresh veggies
quesadillas with black beans and avocados

and sometimes we just have a spread of olives, cheeses, fresh bakery bread and some veggies and herbed yogurt dip

maybe if we each post something we can find 21!!!

i do......burrito/tacos

ground turkey w/taco seansoning
1 can whole black beans mixed with 1 can refried black (amy's)
basmati rice
rice cheese
tortillas/chips
avo and salsa

some of mine won't eat beans, others don't want meat. i like all of mine in a bowl with chips. most of it is organic and it's still only about $22. this serves dinner, lunch the next day (and those burrits travel well for ds and dh), and a few extra.

plus i do once a week left over stuff----not recooked as much as not enough for everyone. 1 veggie burger, 2 chix hotdogs, and 2 burritos--that kind of thing.

chicken fingers and fries
mac and cheese and hot dogs
pizza
apples and sausages
chicken fried rice (betty crocker mix)
enchiladas
tacos
black bean burgers
soup and sandwiches
scrambled eggs with bacon and toast
pancakes

ummm..... I've got a one year old and a two year old, so we do lots of kid stuff :) We also go out at least once a week, lots of times twice.

black bean & sweet potato burritos
spaghetti with zucchini & lemon
baked thai style tofu
roasted tofu with cilantro pesto
asian slaw salad
sweet potato & corn chowder
black beans and rice
black eyed pea & spinich soup
spinich quiche
mushroom, fresh tomato & spinich pizza
tomato bread stew
spicy thai peanut noodles
potstickers
three bean chili
vegi lasagne

wow, up to 15 without looking in a cookbook! I will hit 21 hang on a sec......

Chole

ceasar salad & crusty bread
avacado & sprout rollup sandwiches
Abby's indian curry
Raw-violi
moroccan vegi stew
red lentil soup
sweet & sour stir fry
tofu enchiladas
minestra di pasta e ceci (pasta with chickpeas)
potato soup
kahri
red onion fritatta
black bean soup

28! Whew. I have recipes for all of these & can attest that they are all great (all vegetarian too).

I keep my favs printed in a binder in the kitchen so I don't have to go looking through cookbooks trying to find what we like. Just looking at the binder without opening it and I remembered nearly everything in it.

Chole

Chole, I would absolutely *love* your black bean and sweet potato burrito recipe. that sounds like a yummy meal!

We eat these meals a lot - even though I've got a good size list of what I can and like to make:

homemade pizza
Shepherd's Pie
homemade mac-n-cheese
Black Bean vegetarian chile
Lemon pepper grilled chicken

I can't think and I can't find my cheat sheet, so only have 5, LOL! Of course they aren't complete meals, either. I always add a veggie and or salad and sometimes homemade bread or whatever side dish goes, etc.

What a great idea, Erin. I hope come up with your 21 meals. I know I will be checking back on this thread.

Sweet potato & black bean burittos

cook & mash a few sweet potatos with a can or 2 of black beans.
mix in some cooked onions & garlic, cumin corieander & chili powder.
add in shreaded cheese if you like
use as a buritto filling in whole wheat tortillas.
Bake for a few minutes at 350.
Top with sour cream or salsa.
wrap extras in foil and freeze for reheating another time.

This is the way most of my "recipes" are.

Chole

Wow, you guys are awesome! I will post my list soon. I need to get all of my work done tonight.

Erin

Did something like this about 2 years ago but never followed through! LOL! A good idea is to take notes when you eat out.. Write down everything your family would eat on the menu iykwim
We are semi-veg (no red meat/pork and no seafood for DD) family. We do will use turkey, chicken or veggie sub. depending on our mood.
I live pretty kick back so sandwiches and salad are fine with all of us.

Sautéed shrimp w/rice
Turkey burgers w/salad
Hot Chicken gravy sandwiches
Chief salad – turkey, egg, cheese
Deli sandwich
Lloyd’s Chicken Sandwich
Soup w/salad
Home made chili
Easy Quesadillas
Soy Chicken sandwiches
Chicken Teriyaki or sweet and sour with rice
Turkey or Veggie Sloppy Joes
Grilled Chicken salad
Egg sandwiches
Spaghetti
Chicken stew
Chicken breasts Dijon w/side
Chicken breast sandwich
Fajitas
Gilled veggies (Portobello and asparagus)
Tacos
Tostadas
Taco salad
Lasagna
Raviolis
Tuna sandwiches
Portobello Mushrooms w/ rice
Portobello Sandwich
BBQ Packets
Easy low fat Chicken Pot Pie
Sour Cream Enchiladas
Easy Tamale Pie
Pasta and artichokes
Red Beans and rice burritos
Tortilla soup
Turkey Temptation
English Muffin Pizzas
Cheese pitas
Chicken and dumplings
Shepard's pie
Breakfast for dinner (waffles, pancakes or French toast)


I had a list of all the "sides" we liked so I could mix and match! LOL!

Ooo those are good ideas!! But I need recipes, recipes people LOL!!!!

Chole -

I *need* your recipes! They all sound delish.

OK who's cookin...Im HUNGRY!!

Chole...we need your recipes...they sound yummy!

Don't have 21 since a lot would be repeats, but..

Polenta stuffed peppers

lentil cooked with carrots and whatever else is around over brown rice

veggie Spanish rice with corn muffins

frittata

hmmm....

nak

alright let me get dd off to bed or othewrwise entertained & i;'ll make up a page and give yall a link

chole

nak, still.......

that didn't take to long. i made a page up rather than posting here. at least this way i've checked my spelling!

http://www.green-cottage.net/dinners/main.html

enjoy!

chole

Originally posted by choleblack
nak, still.......

that didn't take to long. i made a page up rather than posting here. at least this way i've checked my spelling!

http://www.green-cottage.net/dinners/main.html

enjoy!

chole

Bowing to the QUEEN of the rotating dinner!

Erin

Thank you so much! I printed out the whole thing :-)

I'm really fond of a coulple of recipies from the 30 Day Gourmet. We use their chicken marinade and their meatloaf/meatball recipie. I buy a bunch of hamburger and mix it up (I've been trying to do a month's worth at a time. We have a couple of meatloafs and meatballs for meatball sandwiches, baked spagetti (pasta, actually, DH doesn't like spagetti),meatballs and gravy with noodles or potatoes. The chicken marinade is awsome, and we can grill up a batch and eat it all week--chicken caesar salad, fajitas, and just plain grilled chicken. If we had leftovers, I could throw it into a pot pie or shepard's pie.

I also like to do "Rubber Chicken"--Roasted chicken, then a night of black bean and chicken burritos (add a can of black beans and cumin and garlic powder), and then chicken soup with bread. (this is from Leanne Ely's Healthy Food cookbook).

Garlic Roast Beef Sandwiches (using leftovers), salad
Ham, scallopped potatoes, green beans
Tacos, Mexican rice, lettuce and tomatoes
Chicken nuggets, carrot sticks, applesauce
Cranberry Pork Pot Roast, Rice, green beans
BBQ - Hamburgers/Hot dogs, fries, sliced tomatoes, veggie salad
BBQ Chicken, corn, cucumber salad
Turkey, yams, peas and carrots
Chicken Pot Pie, salad
Goulash, noodles, salad
Grilled chicken bleu cheese and pear salad
Tortellini in Parma Rosa sauce, sauteed spinach and garlic
Taco soup
Chili, rice, salad
Poppyseed Chicken, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers
Roast beef, baked potatoes, carrots, spinach
Swiss Chicken Casserole, rice, peas
Spaghetti and meatballs, salad, garlic bread
Sweet and Sour Meatballs, rice, snow peas
Chicken Stir Fry, rice
Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, carrots

There's actually 4 weeks worth of meals here - it doesn't count the leftovers we had, the nights that the kids ate at home when Bob and I went out or when we all ate out.

Ann

bump, cause I want more recipes!!!! :thumbsup:

bumpin this back up cause I think it's a cool idea

meat:

-curried pork loin with carrots, potatoes, mushrooms (reg store kind or shiitakes) and celery, dh makes this

-pasta w/meatballs and red sauce, I can't eat the sauce so I have pesto or alfredo

-brats and sauerkraut

-casseroles (noodles, a cheese or meat, veggies)

===veg stuff from when when I was vegetarian but I hardly used salt, I use it now to keep blood pressure from dipping too low:

-chili w/ tvp, can or cans of beans, HOT peppers, onions or cheese on top (feta, sharp cheddar, jack)

-pasta and sauce.
Make homemade sauce cooking down tomatoes or use tomato paste or sauce in cans and add 1 spoon molasses, oregano, salt..coarse kosher salt seasons best, basil, GARLIC! LOTS OF GARLIC!
serve w/ garlic bread

-lentil soup: bag of lentils, carrots, potatoes, garlic, salt, celery optional

-split pea soup: bag split peas, carrots, potatoes (optional), caraway seeds, salt, garlic

for kids:

peanut butter noodles!-
dds and cousin like this one. Spaghetti noodles, cook and drain. Add oil (olive or sesame), add peanut butter until desired consistancy, add garlic (chopped), and curry heat on low a few min, cool and serve.

tofu:
marinate in soy sauce, use VERY FIRM tofu!
dip in egg and flour and fry in oil until golden.
serve w/ soy sauce

sides:

-pasta salad: tomatoes, feta, olives, vinegar and oil or mayo for a creamy one

-potato salad: dill, mayo or mustard or vinegar and oil, garlic

Here are some of the main menu items we have on a regular basis. This does not include side dishes which varies each time and on how much we feel like eating. I, too, am looking forward to expanding my meals. :)

Lasagna w/ garlic bread (this is pricey, but lasts us 2-3 days including meals for DH to bring to work)

Parmesan Herb Roasted Chicken (though I normally forget the parmesan. This is a family favorite.)

BBQ chicken (another family fave and could not be easier)

Home made chicken pot pie

Impossible cheeseburger pie

Steak, pepper and onion stir fry ~ sometimes over brown rice

A beef, cheese and rice mixture, actually what goes inside stuffed peppers? we use this as a sloppy joe of sorts on top of bread (but it's not as messy as sloppy joe and has more better for you stuff inside)

Occasionally stuffed green peppers, but some occasions when we have company b/c DH and kids do not like the peppers. LOL

Good ole' cheeseburgers and french fries!

Tacos (DH makes these better than me so it's always a treat b/c HE makes them! LOL)

Ummm...I am trying to remember what else, but I am stuck. Oh yeah, we do on rare occasions have breakfast for supper (eggs, bacon, pancakes, orange juice ~ the works), but not very often b/c it's a special thing that the kids enjoy once in a while. What they don't know is it's normally at the end of a paycheck and grocery week when we don't have much else to work with, but it's super special for them since it doesn't happen often. :) )

Originally posted by choleblack
black bean & sweet potato burritos


We had these for lunch today -- scrumptious! :thumbsup:

There are some great ideas here.

Thanks Mamas.

I KNEW I had seen something like this here at Amity's before. I did a search and found it! Here's menu planning and recipes for 6 weeks!!!

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=85668&highlight=recipe+menu

I love the crock pot! I make..
CP French Dip Sandwiches
Burrito meat in the CP
CP Pepsi Chicken

Than I also really like..
make your own tacos
eggplant parm
meatballs
rissotto
chicken kabobs
ham, potatoes and cabbage in the skillet
corned beef

Is anyone still doing this? Anyone wanna get motivated to start back up or at all? I stopped doing this when we were selling our house and never got back in the swing, but it sure made life a whole lot easier!

I actually had made several different versions and was thinking back then about printing them up and selling them for not very much to give mamas ideas, but you know how it goes when you move, everything goes by the wayside! LOL But it would still be cool if we could compile them into an excel file or something!

No one is still doing this?

Yippeee! Thanks for bumping this post, Erin. I forgot that it was here!

:)

Originally posted by choleblack
nak, still.......

that didn't take to long. i made a page up rather than posting here. at least this way i've checked my spelling!

http://www.green-cottage.net/dinners/main.html

enjoy!

chole

Oh dear-------I can't get this link to work---it says it no longer exists?

link doesn't work for me either :confused:

When dh first entered the Navy, we lived on no money. We were a family of three, no car payment (insurance was a whopping $230 a month though!). Our bring home salary was $1400 per month. I would grocery shop once a pay period (roughly 2 times a month) and would spend no more than $100 for a pay period.

I would love to get back to this spending habit again. Thank you ladies for sharing these meal ideas with me. It reminds me of how it use to be and I will work hard on getting back this way (dh will be estatic!).

dh really liked this thing I made one night.
I don't really do recipes though, I just throw things together!

curried veggies in a pie crust-
carrots, celery, curry powder, potatoes, kosher salt, garlic, broth

broccoli chicken casserole-
can of cream of "" soup,garlic,water or broth, broccoli, egg noodles (cooked), chicken (I used tenders), cheese: broil extra cheese on top at end of cooking. I used a mix of parmesan/Romano/Provolone

cauliflower chicken casserole-
cauliflower, egg noodles (cooked)carrots, celery (used up limp wilty veggies!), garlic,cream of "" soup, water or broth, cheese on top and broil extra at end of cooking. same cheeses as above.

gumbo-
gumbo mix frozen veggies, cajun sausage, tomato product (sauce/paste?) or chopped tomatoes, garlic, seasonings, you can add rice.

I had yummy soup at a Mexican restaurant. Chicken soup w/ broth/chicken/cilantro/tomatoes served over a bit of rice. Avocado slices floating on top. You could leave out chicken and serve as is or with tortilla chips on top.

link doesn't work for me either :confused:

I can't get it to work either. If anyone has a copy of the recipes that were on the page, I would love them. They sound really good.
I've totally been trying to get myself out of a cooking rut that resulted from being sick for a few weeks, so I'm loving this thread.

I would like a copy of Chloe's Recipes too. ANYONE :confused:

I would like a copy of Chloe's Recipes too. ANYONE :confused:

Me too pretty please :wah: I will beggggg

me too!!!!

I'm still hoping for a copy, too. Maybe I'll post a new thread, just in case anyone has them who isn't checking this thread.