Menu Plan Monday 1/23

I feel like Grant and I haven't had a moment to rest in the past few weeks... between childbirth/baby/CPR classes, baby showers, visitors in town, getting our home ready for the baby and the end of the first semester of the school year, we have been going nonstop.  Perhaps it's a good thing my body has reacted to this pregnancy with mild insomnia as opposed to extreme fatigue?  Sometimes though, I think it would be easier if I was so tired I had to lie down all the time and just be "ok" with not getting anything done.  Except doing nothing is not "ok" when you are a high school teacher and have grades to submit...

I had been preparing a mental list of easy meals for once this little man comes and I will be super tired/not want to cook as much... well... turns out I realized I will actually have MORE time once I'm on maternity leave, even if it's a few hours here and a few hours there... so I had to start onto that list to just SURVIVE this next week. So I feel like at this point in the pregnancy, I'm taking the easy road as often as possible.  And eating extra desserts since 1- I was in limbo for awhile awaiting the second glucose test and 2- I never really indulged early on... and now I'm realizing it's almost over! I'm still working out though, so it's not like I'm just eating candy and then sitting around.

So here's my easy menu plan for the week...

Sunday: Crockpot Tortilla Soup

Monday: Slow Cooker Pot Roast (w/ one can of soup & some extra garlic), biscuits

Tuesday: Veggie Burgers & Garlic Parmesan Orzo (w/ a lot less butter)

Wednesday: leftover pot roast

Thursday: omelettes, hash browns and fruit

Friday: THANK YOU DADDY C. for paying for us to go out to a nice dinner... Smith & Wollensky, here we come :)

Saturday: hosting the appetizer course of our street's annual progressive dinner.  I'm making baked cream cheese (I add garlic powder, serve w/ crackers & apple slices), pepperoni pizza puffs (thank you Pinterest) and spinach artichoke dip.

Check out www.orgjunkie.com for more menu planning ideas!

Menu Plan Monday 12/5

our growing family in front of our tree :)

I cannot believe it is December already... and that I'm now in my third trimester.  Time is flying. I am trying my best to think about Christmas and what it is really about NOW, since once it finally arrives, it seems it becomes all about the presents.  I'm loving this e-devotional that comes to my inbox every day... pretty much every day's has been something that really speaks to me at the moment.  Check it out... it's free :-) 

Here's what we are eating this week: 

Sunday: crock pot chicken tortilla soup (see below) & corn muffins... I change the recipe all the time but decided to try to remember it this week. 

Monday: pancakes, eggs & bacon

Tuesday: Sneaky Sloppy Joes, homemade mac & cheese(with less butter), peas

Wednesday: chicken wraps, au gratin potatoes, green beans

Thursday: cheese quesadillas, black bean quinoa

Friday: frozen pizza

Saturday: date night! (aka I was done menu planning... so I'm hoping we just go out!)

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

note: I LOVE soup b/c you really don't have to measure... just add the quantities of the vegetables you want.  I also LOVE cumin and cilantro, so I use a ton of it... and often add more as it's almost done.  Don't salt it until you taste it b/c sometimes the chicken broth is salty. 

 

1 onion, diced

1 can diced tomatoes 

1 can green chili peppers (or use the tomatoes w/ the chilies)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup of corn

1 can of black beans 

1 can of kidney beans

another other veggies (I've added celery, zucchini, carrots, etc..)

1/2 cup rice (I use brown, but it will increase the cook time) 

4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp dried cilantro (but use tons of fresh if you have it!)
1/4 or 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or leave out if you don't want it too spicy!)

3 chicken breasts or 6-7 chicken tenderloins

6 cups chicken broth

toppings: cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, fresh cilantro if you have it

Put all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on high about 3 hours or on low 5-6 or until rice is cooked.  Shred chicken.  Top with sour cream, cheese & tortilla chips.

go to www.orgjunkie.com for more menu planning ideas!

Menu Plan Monday 8/22

Today is officially my last day of summer :-( Where am I spending it, you might ask? A doctors appointment, followed by a long day of working in my classroom, followed by my 1st afternoon Jazzercise class since the 10-11 school year... and then I'm coming home to a crockpot dinner that I am starting this morning.  We have FOUR days of in-service this year.  Ridiculous.  One of those is a teacher work day, where I get to work in my classroom, but the others are full days of meetings about this and that... therefore, my last day off must be spent preparing for the upcoming year.  We also have open house this week, and Grant & I have a few other commitments, so it will be a busy one.  So the meals this week are easy.  

Sunday: Sneaky & Sloppy Joes (have zucchini, carrots & a red pepper purée in them!), the grilled potato salad I never made last week (that I made in the oven last night)

Monday: one of my faves- CrockPot Chicken Tortilla Soup (I always use up leftover produce with this- this time it will have leftover carrots & zucchini & probably some rice in it, along with 2 cubanelle peppers from our garden), corn muffins (frozen!)

Tuesday: Toad in a hole (or Egg in a frame as I call them... and I scramble the egg), fruit

Wednesday: leftover sloppy joes & potatoes

Thursday: open house for me, chicken sandwich & veggies for Grant

Friday: off to Cleveland asap after work to celebrate Grant's grandparents' 60th anniversary!!