*Stealing* Meal Plan Mondays

[babybarlow2014]

Jan 27, 2015 1:32:09 GMT -5 hammy28 said:

DH is gone for the next two weeks so.. uh.. cereal and wine? Cereal and wine x14 days?

Can I come over?

[footloose]

Jan 27, 2015 10:28:50 GMT -5 jsquaree said:

Jan 27, 2015 9:30:28 GMT -5 kittyriot said:

I would love your bourbon chicken recipe jsquaree !!

I found it on pinterest, haven't tried it yet.

6 Frozen Chicken Thighs
1 Clove chopped Garlic (or 1 tbsp. granulated garlic)
1/4 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/4 c. apple juice
1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. cider vinegar
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. soy sauce

Directions

Place the frozen chicken thighs on the bottom of the crock pot. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook for 8 hours on low. 

Then shred the chicken into a "pulled pork" consistency. Server over brown rice.

This sounds really good!

[pinkstarbursts]

I have to plan meals ahead of time or we don't function. We also live for leftovers, and plan them into our meals. I keep some fresh and frozen veggies around to add to each meal. This is our week:

M - garlic chicken /w crock pot broccoli Mac and cheese

T/W - beef & mushroom stroganoff

Th/F - penne /turkey meatballs

S - steak/baked sweet potato

[birdhut]

I love this thread! I always get stuck in a rut. Yesterday we had tacos and today we are having veggie soup. The rest of the week not sure yet maybe I will steal some of these ideas!

[hammy28]

Jan 27, 2015 10:56:40 GMT -5 babybarlow2014 said:

Jan 27, 2015 1:32:09 GMT -5 hammy28 said:

DH is gone for the next two weeks so.. uh.. cereal and wine? Cereal and wine x14 days?

Can I come over?

Definitely. Tonight was garlic bread and a margarita. Dinner of champions.

[ho11yday]

Jan 28, 2015 0:07:56 GMT -5 hammy28 said:

Jan 27, 2015 10:56:40 GMT -5 babybarlow2014 said:

Can I come over?

Definitely. Tonight was garlic bread and a margarita. Dinner of champions.

my kind of night.

[jcrewgirl]

Jan 27, 2015 10:32:46 GMT -5 mamarazziof3 said:

Jan 26, 2015 16:48:35 GMT -5 jcrewgirl said:

Monday: Baked chicken, sweet potato, and broccoli
Tuesday: Homemade pizza
Wednesday: Turkey spaghetti
Thursday: TBD
Friday: Tomato/Sausage Risotto w/spinach

Can you share your risotto recipe please?  

mamarazziof3 

link to recipe: smittenkitchen.com/blog/2006/11/alexs-restaurant/


Tomato and Sausage Risotto

Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food



Serves 4



1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1 small onion, finely chopped

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 bunch flat-leaf spinach (10 to 14 ounces), washed well, tough stems removed, chopped (about 7 cups)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)

2 tablespoons butter



In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add sausage and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.

Add about 2 cups hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).

Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.

[jennybeans]

Jan 28, 2015 1:26:12 GMT -5 ho11yday said:

Jan 28, 2015 0:07:56 GMT -5 hammy28 said:

Definitely. Tonight was garlic bread and a margarita. Dinner of champions.

my kind of night.

This sounds like all of our nights recently! Hot dogs and chicken nuggets are staples here. The one time we tried to get creative lately, we both got sick!

I *plan* to try to get back to making a batch of freezer meals at the beginning of the month for quicker meals and then use the SkinnyMom meal plans for each month for other nights once we get into our new house and back to (sort of) normal.

The only thing I hate about meal planning is that if I make meal plans for the week, suddenly it is my responsibility to make every meal. My husband is allergic to recipes or something. Anyone sharing the cooking responsibility with tips on how to manage this?

[kittyriot]

Jan 28, 2015 9:22:07 GMT -5 jennybeans said:

Jan 28, 2015 1:26:12 GMT -5 ho11yday said:

my kind of night.

This sounds like all of our nights recently! Hot dogs and chicken nuggets are staples here. The one time we tried to get creative lately, we both got sick!

I *plan* to try to get back to making a batch of freezer meals at the beginning of the month for quicker meals and then use the SkinnyMom meal plans for each month for other nights once we get into our new house and back to (sort of) normal.

The only thing I hate about meal planning is that if I make meal plans for the week, suddenly it is my responsibility to make every meal. My husband is allergic to recipes or something. Anyone sharing the cooking responsibility with tips on how to manage this?

jennybeans - when we first moved in together we started cooking together, it was kinda our time to unwind and catch up, it became a habit and out of habit it became a hobby. So now we find new recipes to cook together, test things out, invite friends over to help.  

Now it's harder to cook as a couple with the kid, but she's an early to bedder (6pm usually), so she eats before we do. So now we often have her in the highchair eating and watching us while we cook together and talk. Maybe see if you can get him cooking with you, and the more he does that the more he'll be capable of following said recipe and doing it himself. 

I am often indisposed at prep time, nursing, actually spoon feeding the little, so it often falls on his shoulders to do most of the work. He's great at it. 

And I swear he was a miserable cook when we first moved in together!!

[luckynumbers]

jennybeans, I wish I had advice for you, but I am your husband in this scenario. DH hasn't figured out how to get me too cook yet, either.

[SpinsOffResonance]

jennybeans DH only cooks 2 things: Frozen pizza and Kraft Mac & cheese. So I do all of the cooking while he watches the kids.

[haykay13]

Jan 28, 2015 11:10:57 GMT -5 SpinsOffResonance said:

jennybeans DH only cooks 2 things: Frozen pizza and Kraft Mac & cheese. So I do all of the cooking while he watches the kids.

MH will only make frozen pizza.
And he was a cook at a restaurant for 10 years so I know he knows how to make more than that!! Haha

[jsquaree]

Jan 27, 2015 10:49:20 GMT -5 kittyriot said:

Jan 27, 2015 10:28:50 GMT -5 jsquaree said:

I found it on pinterest, haven't tried it yet.

6 Frozen Chicken Thighs
1 Clove chopped Garlic (or 1 tbsp. granulated garlic)
1/4 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/4 c. apple juice
1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. cider vinegar
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. soy sauce

Directions

Place the frozen chicken thighs on the bottom of the crock pot. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook for 8 hours on low. 

Then shred the chicken into a "pulled pork" consistency. Server over brown rice.

That looks fabulous! I think I'll try that soon!!

So, made it last night, it's *okay*. It's definitely not the worst thing I've ever had, but it was a little bland. I might use fresh ginger instead of ground and add a little chili powder. Oh, and some actual bourbon. Also, it was ready in 6 hours instead of 8.

[jennyinheaven]

M-Crockpot Turkey Chili. T- Pork Chops w/ grilled onions, green beans and multigrain rolls, W-Tacos, Then I work the next two nights so DH can have leftover chili from the freezer, hot digs and tater tots etc.. I don't so much meal plan by the day more like get enough for the week and see what I'm in the mood to cook/have time for each morning

[ho11yday]

I wish I trusted DH to cook regularly. I'd be eating chicken nuggets and macaroni at 10pm every night if I did.

[mamarazziof3]

jcrewgirl Thank you! Totally sounds like something DH and I would both love!