One Month's Meal Plan

Time to pay it forward.  A few weeks ago I asked Facebook friends to share some of their most winning family dinners and I walked away with a handful of new recipes to try (I've made two so far, one successfully).  I often dream of a life without cooking or meal planning, but there is a kid to feed so there just ain't no getting around the grind.  In hopes that one of my friends might find something useful in my kitchen, I'm sharing this past month's meal plan and I'm hotlinking in recipes (luckily, I've been digitizing my recipes recently).  It was a boring month, no chef award coming my way.  Mike was gone and since Eleanor was my only audience I repeated dishes for which she is most likely to applaud. "I live for the applause." Given that I was the only adult around to move us through the dinner prep, dishes, homework, daily violin practice and bedtime routine, I kept meals simple, especially on the days when after school activities such as swimming had us away from home when I needed to be cooking.


Breakfast plan
Almost always a rotation between 1) fried egg whites (done in a cast iron skillet for added iron and less confusing teflon) with whole-wheat toast, and 2) Scottish Grind Oatmeal (Bob's Red Mill, label recipe, add butter and a splash of cream when serving). About 2-3 times a month we eat cereal (blend of Nature's Path cornflakes + bulk old fashioned raw rolled oats + bulk ginger granola).  On weekends, I will make simple biscuits (mix 1 part self-rising flour, 1 part heavy cream, bake at 425 for 9 minutes) and serve with jams and a side of eggs.  Almost every Saturday (when home) Mike makes great pancakes from a family recipe (not a mix, try it!).

Lunches
Eleanor was on a salami kick this month = Applegate Genoa.  Cream cheese on wheat bread finger sandwiches + salami + some cut veggie + a tangerine did the job most of this month. (Typical veggies = cooked but cold beets, carrot, cucumber, raw cabbage, jicama, olives.) Some days it was smoked turkey on cream cheese finger sandwiches with a side of chips.  Once a week it is hot, chicken noodle soup (organic Wolfgang Puck, canned).  Eleanor doesn't like the school lunches, so lunch is always packed from home.

School snacks
The teacher lets the kids snack while they read in the morning, but the snacks have to be quiet and clean.  Which favors a processed bar, but we make muffins instead.  We rotate between a zucchini, pumpkin, berry and squash.  I make them in batches and freeze them, microwaving one each morning and sending it with her to school.

After school snacks
I make a greens+fruit smoothie almost everyday.  I drink about 12 oz and reserve about 7 oz for Eleanor.  I have a basic blender (8 speed, 20 year old Oster).  The recipe is almost always the same base, with extras thrown in if something else is lurking around the kitchen.  Base:  3 cups Lacinato Kale leaves, 1/3 cup greek yogurt (Fage brand), 1/4 cup frozen blueberries, 1 frozen shredded carrot, 1 banana, 1 tangerine or some other fruit, splash of water as needed (or juice if around).

Other snacks Eleanor eats after school = string cheese, frozen waffles (Van's protein enriched), dried seaweed, pecans, crackers with cream cheese or peanut butter, dried fruit, yogurt with granola, toast, applesauce, any available fruit.


Dinners - finally!
My friend Kathy described it once as "the tyranny of dinner," and I feel similarly about the planning and cooking of the final meal of the day. Such. Relentless. Work.  Hope something in here helps someone.

Dec 2 – 8

M – salmon cakes (grocery shop day, Mike cooks)
T – mini-murphy pizzas from Papa Murphy (Mike leaves, E swims)
W – zucchini/ham/pasta gratin; ½ batch
Th – Steph’s quick beans and rice, Mexican style (E swims)
F – roast chicken with brussel sprouts from Sierra’s recipe (Eleanor liked! violin lessons)
Sat – French onion bacon tart + salad (Mike returns, he cooks)
Sun – stir fry w/ glass noodles (Mike cooks)

Dec 9 – 15

M – white bean soup + cornbread (grocery day, Mike leaves)
T –  Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken + rice + fresh steamed broccoli (E swims)
W – lemon-rosemary chicken from Sierra + lima bean gratin from JPCooks (both new dishes that Eleanor did not like, but I liked the lima bean dish a lot. I totally messed up Sierra's dish.)
Th – mini-murph pizza (E swims)
F – 30-minute lasagna (violin lessons)
Sat – eat lunch at Manzana Grill, dinner is leftover lasagna (Nutcracker)
Sun – club sandwich style BLTs 

Dec 16 – 22

M – steak (top sirloin center cut, dry rub, cooked in cast iron skillet on stove to 145*) + rolls + steamed romanesco cauliflower (grocery day, Peacock Lane lights!)
T – sandwiches (E swims)
W – Steph’s roast chicken + creamy peas + new potatoes
Th – pasta (E swims)
F – little shrimp casseroles + salad (school party - bring cupcakes for class)
Sat – dinner downtown to see Christmas ship parade on river (Mike back!)
Sun – risotto + salad (Mike cooks)

Dec 23 – 29

M – brisket from Salt Lick (hauled in from Texas by Mike) + coleslaw + Bush’s baked beans (grocery day, St. Clair’s arrive)
T – Big Christmas Eve Meal Today!  Here is my cooking schedule for the day. Menu: 3 lb beef tenderloin, homemade yeast rolls, My Mom's holiday mac’n cheese, beet salad, homemade apple pie with Mama Nellie’s pie dough
W – Christmas! Pancake breakfast, Stratta for Christmas lunch party, leftovers for dinner
Th – biscuit breakfast, French onion soup + risotto cakes (from leftovers) + salad dinner (Mike cooks dinner)
F – oatmeal breakfast, pizza order/ date night dinner
Sat – pancake breakfast, spice rubbed pork tenderloin with mango salsa + coconut rice dinner (Mike cooks)
Sun – leftovers (Mike and St. Clairs leave) 

Dec 30 – Jan 5

M – baked cod (EVOO, rosemary) + roasted cauliflower/potato/carrots (grocery shop, violin lesson)
T – Little Big Burger for steph, party for E (New Years Eve!)
W – homemade chicken noodle soup (E loved this version!)
Th – leftover chicken noodle soup (E’s do jump class)
F - steak (top sirloin center cut, dry rub, cooked in cast iron skillet on stove to 145*) + rolls + steamed cauliflower and lima beans in browned butter  (E’s do jump class)
Sat – zucchini/ham/pasta gratin; ½ batch
Sun – sushi out (Mike back!)