A Menu for the Week!

Wow, I am amazed at how easy it is to get out of cooking daily meals.  Too tired so let’s just go get Chinese buffet; oh it’s so late, let’s just go get a burger; I haven’t shopped yet, let’s just stop for a sandwich……and soon, we eat out more than we eat in. 

Not only is that very costly, it’s not always healthy or well-balanced. 

So now I’ve started the Meal Plan, I’ll set up a menu for the upcoming week, create a shopping list to match the menu, and make good use of bulk purchases and leftovers.

So here is this week’s menu and the coordinating shopping list.  You’ll see how I plan to use some of the items in more than one dish.

MENU

Sunday

Oven-baked fried chicken *

Baked sweet potatoes

Southwest Fiesta Corn ¥

Cole Slaw

Monday

Pasta with vegetable sauce

Romaine salad

Tuesday

Skillet Chicken Pot Pie *≠¥

Wednesday

Scalloped pork chops and potatoes ≠ and diced ham ó

Baby Peas ¥

Baked apples

Thursday

Roasted Turkey BLT’s

Homemade potato chips ≠

Friday

Chili cheese dogs

French fries

Saturday

Potato Soup ≠

Ham Biscuits ó

* Chicken- I’ll purchase a package of whole cut chicken and use some for the for oven baked chicken and at the same time, cook off the rest for the skillet pot pie.  In addition, I’ll set at least ½ cup of chicken aside to make chicken-salad for one of Mom’s lunches during the week.

¥  Peas and corn as side dishes and also used in the  Skillet Chicken Pot Pie.  This is also a good time to look in the freezer for other veggies that are approaching expiration and toss them into the pie as well!

ó  Ham steak is used to flavor Scalloped Pork Chops, Potato Soup and to make Ham Biscuits – there is a lot of meat in one ham steak.  I like to trim it up and brown off all of the trim until crispy and use it to flavor other meals, such as the potato soup.  Angle cut enough slices to make your ham biscuits and store safely in the refrigerator for Saturday.  Dice the rest and use ½ in your scalloped potatoes and ½ in your potato soup.

≠ Potatoes are used in Scalloped Pork Chop, Skillet Pot Pie and to make homemade potato chips. Remember, left over scalloped potatoes can also be incorporated into your potato soup!

In these lean times over the past few months, my pantry has become depleted, so I’m adopting the restock plus one shopping plan.  It’s simple plan that allows you to gradually stock your pantry to the point that you could rely on your pantry stock to feed your family for up to a month or more! ….if need be. 

Additionally, this plan keeps you from running out of staples – I hate when I decide to create a dish, and go to the pantry for an ingredient and I’m out!

This is how it works.  You’ll see on the menu for this week is Pasta with Vegetable Sauce.  I’ll purchase the pasta for the dish, one can of tomato sauce, one can of fire roasted tomatoes and one can of tomato paste.  Even if I have these things already in my pantry.  When I get home from the store, I’ll put the purchases away in the pantry, rotating the cans to use the oldest first.  You put your new purchase behind the like item already on the shelf.

Now the plus one…next week when I shop, I will have my list for the menu AND the list of items used from the pantry.  I used one box of pasta so I will replace that box and purchase another.  Restock plus one.  Now you don’t do this with frozen, fresh or refrigerated items, only with your pantry stock.

So let’s review.  You pull a can of tuna (or foil pouch) from the pantry to make tuna salad sandwiches for lunch.  So you add tuna to your restock list and replace the can used, and purchase your plus one to add to the stock!

Same thing goes for condiments such as mayonnaise, ketchup, salad dressings.  If you pull a bottle of ketchup from the pantry to use, you will need to replace it, and purchase your plus one.  That way, the next time the ketchup bottle is empty; there are no worries when you go to the pantry to pull one for use!

We’ll talk more about pantry storage in an upcoming blog!

Here’s the shopping list for this week’s menu:

SHOPPING LIST

ð       Bacon

ð       Chicken whole cut

ð       Pork chops

ð       Ham steak

ð       Hot dogs

ð       Small whole turkey breast

ð       Bisquick

ð       Corn flakes

ð       Cream of chicken soup

ð       Hot dog chili

ð       Mushroom soup

ð       Pasta

ð       Tomato Sauce

ð       Fire roasted diced tomatoes

ð       Mayo

ð       Ketchup

ð       Cole Slaw Dressing

ð       Caesar Dressing

ð       Frozen baby peas

ð       Frozen sweet corn

ð       Steak fries

ð       Potatoes

ð       3 whole sweet potatoes

ð       Romaine Lettuce

ð       Tomatoes

ð       Cabbage Shred

ð       Apples

ð       Hot dog buns

ð       Sour dough bread

ð       Milk

ð       Pint of cream

ð       Eggs

ð       Colby Jack Cheese

ð       Shred Parmesan

Now this shopping list coordinates to the menu.  I may have a few of these items in my pantry, but since my goal is to restock my pantry, I’ll be purchasing everything on the list so that it will become new stock.

I like to plan a menu that uses leftovers creatively, as my Farmgirl Mister is not crazy about just warming up leftovers for another meal.  If I hide them in an all new dish, well let’s say, what he doesn’t know, he eats! HA!

I do admit, I do buy a portion of prepared items, however right now working full time and other demands on my time, it just proves a bit easier.  As I get my pantry stocked, and refine my weekly menus, you will see less and less prepackaged items and more prepared from scratch alternatives!

So here’s my menu and my shopping list, off to the store I go.  When I get back, I’ll let you know how I did on bulk purchases and sale items – and then post two new recipes for items on this week’s menu!

‘til we chat again,

Stormy

Rich and Rustic Mushroom Soup

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Don’t confuse this wonderful adventure in soup making with the canned condensed version on the grocery shelves….it is not even close.  This is a rich soup with a robust and rustic nutty flavor that can hold its own as the main course of a meal.

Ingredients

·         5 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

·         1 1/2 cups chicken broth

·         1 tablespoon fresh thyme finely chopped (you can use dried if you prefer but it won’t have the same fresh flavor – if using dried herb, adjust to ¼ teaspoon)

·         3 tablespoons butter

·         3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·         1/4 teaspoon coarse ground sea salt

·         1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

·         1 cup half-and-half

·         1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

·         1 tablespoon sherry

·         Optional 1 teaspoon sour cream for garnish

from the grocery store, you can purchase the standard white button mushrooms, or by selecting another variety you can change the overall flavor of your soup.

Directions

I prefer to sauté my mushrooms before beginning the soup making process to bring out more of the rustic nutty flavor.

1.   In a large heavy skillet melt about 1 tablespoon of butter until it just begins to foam and then quickly add your mushrooms.  Sauté mushrooms with fresh thyme until tender and slightly browned - about 8 to 10 minutes. Take care to move your mushrooms gently around the skillet to avoid them breaking apart and losing all of their moisture.

there are several varieties of Thyme, I prefer the broad leaf  for this recipe.

2.   In blender or food processor, blend the mushrooms and the remaining 1½ cups of broth until almost smooth, leaving some chunks. Set aside. (You may puree until smooth if you prefer.  I like to leave some bits of mushroom in mine for texture.)

3.   In a heavy saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, whisk in the flour until smooth. Add the salt, pepper, half and half, Worcestershire, and mushroom puree. Stirring constantly, bring soup to a boil and then reduce heat to low/medium and continue to cook until thickened – about 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.  Add sherry just before removing from heat.

Prep time:  20 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves:      6 – 8

Serve this rich soup with a fresh Caesar Salad, crusty bread and a fruit and cheese plate for a delightful winter dinner.

fresh romaine (I use organic hearts of romaine), homemade crusty croutons, and fresh grated Parmesan are key to the start of a great Caesar Salad finish it off with your favorite Caesar dressing.

awesome pantry from closet-solutions.com

Before beginning any new recipe, check your Pantry to be sure you have all of the ingredients on hand....

Pantry List

ü  1 quart fresh mushrooms
ü  Chicken broth – 1 lg can or 2 small cans
ü  One bunch of fresh thyme
ü  1 pint Half and Half
ü  1 stick of butter
ü  All purpose flour
ü  Sea Salt
ü  Black Pepper
ü  Worcestershire Sauce
ü  Sherry (optional)

Kitchen Tool List

ü  Cutting board
ü  Slicing knife
ü  Measuring Spoons
ü  Measuring Cups
ü  Large heavy skillet
ü  Spatula
ü  Blender or Food Processor
ü  Large heavy sauce pan
ü  Whisk
ü  Large spoon
ü  Soup ladle

Left over soup is not likely with this tasty recipe, however if there is, consider making homemade scalloped potatoes for tomorrow’s dinner!

Sister

I think it's a Michigan thing, this calling each other Sister than by our names, or maybe it's just a term of endearment that has been with Sister and me for years and years.  I can't recall the last time I called my sister by her name - even when referring to her to others - its always Sister.


My sister is my best friend.  We are separated by ten years and thousands of miles, and yet are as close as a whisper when we need each other.  I swear I can hear her call to me in the rustle of the leaves on the trees when she needs me.

                                                                     My Sister Bonnie

                                                             

We have the same crazy sense of humor, the same passion for our sons, we each have one - who we adore, and although I like to think I’m creative, my sister is the most talented person I know!

                                                          Bonnie and her son Shannon

We are so connected that we can carry on entire conversations without ever finishing a sentence, and repeatedly, much like Name That Tune; we can finish the thought of the other often when she utters just one or two words.

I have been busy preparing for our annual Cottage Christmas Sale and must confess I have procrastinated to the last minute …… using a multitude of excuses, I’m afraid.  One excuse, and I must say a very good one, was that my Sister, my nephew Shannon and his lovely wife Joann, along with babies Alivia and Grant in tow, came for Thanksgiving weekend.  And as you all know, you must have a clean house when family comes, so I devoted my limited time to cleaning and shopping and preparing, and ignored the cottage and barn. 

It’s been three years since my sister’s last visit, and our barn is a new addition since then.  She was so eager to see it, and was a bit shocked to see the pile high of furniture and smalls stacked everywhere when the sale was but a mere two weeks away.  “Don’t worry” she said, “we’ll work in here every night while I’m here” HA, well that didn’t happen.  Every day was full of conversation, adoring babies, meals, and more conversation – before we knew it, our three and half days were gone – and we were saying our tearful goodbyes!

                                                        Shannon, Joann and Aliva visited 

                                                                  the Butterfly Place!

Her visit was over before we knew it and not only hadn’t we spent anytime working on the sale, but I hadn’t spent even a minute in the cottage or barn that entire week.  Since they departed on Tuesday, I’ve made great progress all week, staging new displays, unpacking the last of the Christmas treasures, and putting finishing touches here and there.

This morning my sister called, quite early, to catch me before I headed over the barn to work to share a dream she had last night.  She dreamt that we had been working in the barn together and we hung chairs and small furniture from large hooks all around the perimeter of the room.  Well it is a great idea, in fact it’s such a great idea that I had sent Farmgirl Mister Jim out yesterday morning to buy large hooks so we could hang chairs and small furnishings around the perimeter of the barn!    Yes, my sister and I are quite connected!

So here is a picture of the chairs some of the chairs we’ve hung from the walls, (we hung 8!) and wow, does it add more display space for all of our treasures.

  

Farmgirl Sisters Cottage Christmas sale is Saturday, December 10 – and a full 12 hours long 8AM – 8PM and we so hope to see you there!  Check us out on facebook: farmgirl sisters or at www.farmgirlsisters.com for more information and directions!  We're easy to find, right in downtown Branson, just one block off Hwy 65 and Hwy 76!