Dinner

I keep our meal plan on a dry erase board so it will be easy to change. It is good to have dinner plans but also keep it flexible.

A staple of our meal plan is stir fry. Last summer I got a free Pampered Chef sauce with my order and tried their Ginger Wasabi Sauce. Since it is a little pricey, I tried to find a suitable substitute. I shopped at HEB and William Sonoma, and I think that we have tried about 6 different sauces. None of them measured up. I could re-title this post "Ode to Ginger Wasabi Sauce."

Meal Plan 9/20-9/24/10

Updates: We like having fresh vegetables for our stir fry instead of frozen. The veggie enchiladas freeze and reheat well, but there are not many leftovers.

This Week:
Monday - Stir Fry
Tuesday - Spaghetti
Wednesday - Taco
Thursday - Veggie Quesadillas
Friday - Leftovers

I am not planning meals for Saturday since we have a birthday party that day and will try to go to a plate benefit for a local girl fighting cancer. (Many people/organizations down here will sell BBQ plates as fundraisers, which I did not see in Ohio.) Sometime on Saturday Alex will need his nap!

Meal Plan 9/13-9/19/10

We are settling into a pattern with our dinners, but we are still experimenting with some little things.

Here is the plans for this week:
Monday - Veggie Enchiladas/I have dinner with some friends.
Tuesday - Stir Fry
Wednesday - Tacos
Thursday - Eat on campus/I have an event that night.
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Pizza.

We also have some leftovers for lunches, which I like. The veggie enchiladas are frozen, so that will be a good test for some "make ahead and freeze meals". I like stir fry night because we eat more vegetables. This week I bought fresh vegetables instead of frozen. We'll see which one we like better.

Meal Plan 9/6/10 - 9/11/10

It is a holiday weekend, so I am posting a little late. I was able to hold off my weekly grocery shopping until this morning. It was like I had two Sundays :) The only thing is that I have to be ready to teach class tomorrow morning, and it is our first class using the textbook.

Here is the plan this week:
Monday - Hamburgers (We grilled out for Labor Day.)
Tuesday - Stir Fry
Wednesday - Tacos
Thursday - Spaghetti
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Pizza

This past week, I made a couple of recipes from The Pampered Chef. I was reminded that I should follow recipes more closely. The changes I made worked out but did not taste as good as the original.

I put together a dry erase menu board for our kitchen today. I used a 12x12 frame from Michael's, a 12x12 piece of patterned paper from Stampin' Up! and some American Crafts Thickers (my favorite letter stickers). I found the idea from the blog Make and Takes.

Meal Plan 8/30-9/4/10

Meal planning is working for us! We have also saved money this month by packing our lunches most days.

We have discussed having three set meals each week: tacos, stir fry, and spaghetti. We'll rotate in some other quick or make ahead meals. I have some new cookware to try out from the Pampered Chef.

Here's the plan:
Monday - Veggie Enchiladas
Tuesday - Stir Fry
Wednesday - Tacos
Thursday - Spaghetti & salad
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Chicken Fajitas

The veggie enchiladas are from a Six O'Clock Scramble cookbook. I am going to make them ahead and freeze half for another dinner. We have a new Ginger Wasabi sauce to try on stir fry night from my Pampered Chef order. I am going to make the chicken fajitas in the microwave with a recipe that I tried at a Pampered Chef show. It only takes about 15 minutes to cook. Toddlers are not patient, so right now it is all about quick dinners.

At some point, I am going to purchase some supplies to make this dry erase menu board. I think there is a spot for it in my kitchen.

Meal Plan 8/23-8/28

I am planning ahead for the upcoming CRAZY week! Work is busy with freshmen still registering or finalizing their fall schedules. I will be teaching my first class on Thursday. I go back and forth between being excited and nervous.

Monday: Stir Fry and Rice
Tuesday: Mom's Birthday Dinner
Wednesday: Free Dinner @ UTSA
Thursday: Taco Night
Friday: Hosting Bookclub - Salads from HEB
Saturday: Pizza or Pasta

Meal Plan 8/16-8/21

Having a meal plan worked well last week. I had to work late one night, and John had dinner on the table when I got home. The meal plan also helped me lose 1.4 pounds this week.

For breakfast, we continue to have cereal. John will pack a sandwich and an apple for lunch, and I bought some frozen meals for lunch this week. (I had my fill of salads for a while...) Alex will be home on Thursday and Friday, so I have planned out extra meals and snack for him this week.

Here is our dinner plan for the week:
Monday: Grilled chicken and steamed veggies
Tuesday: Sloppy Joes (leftovers from Saturday)
Wednesday: Taco Night!
Thursday: Stir Fry and Rice
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Paninis

My mom makes dinner on Sundays, so I do not have to plan that.

I hosted a Pampered Chef show yesterday, so I am looking forward to getting some more recipes and tools to prepare quick dinners.

Meal Planning 8/9-8/14/10

Yes, you read that correctly. I planned out a week of meals.

John and I are working on eating better and exercising more. I have been doing Weight Watchers Online for over a year now and needed a push to get back on track. I am finding that eating more fruits and vegetables is helping me to stay full. My goal for August is to exercise at least twice a week for 30 minutes or more.

When we do not eat well, it is usually a combination of bad habits and poor planning. I decided to try to plan some quick and healthy meals instead of having the daily question of "what's for dinner."

Our breakfasts mainly include cereal and bananas. During the week, Alex has breakfast, lunch and a snack at daycare. He has entered the picky eating stage of toddlerhood. At least the dogs are enjoying the food he throws on the floor. John and I are packing our lunches most days and keeping it simple with salads, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (you are never too old for pb&j), and apples. We also have some healthy options on campus including Subway, Chick-Fil-A, and a salad bar. We are trying to keep healthy snacks around including yogurt, fruit smoothies, Kashi bars, and rice cakes.

Dinner this week will include:
Monday - Grilled Chicken and Steamed Veggies
Tuesday - Panini Sandwiches
Wednesday - Tacos
Thursday - Stir Fry and Brown Rice
Friday - Leftovers (aka "freelance)
Saturday - Sloppy Joes and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

We'll see how this goes. The Frugal Girl posts weekly about grocery shopping and meal planning, so I have found some good information there. I am also hosting a Pampered Chef party to stock up on some new cooking tools. You can order online through 8/16/10 if you could use some items from them too. (shameless plug!)