happy new year! welcome to 2010! i don't know about you, but i'm still adjusting to the new year. i've got lots of new ideas, big plans, & plenty of resolutions. the first goal on my list involves dinner time. as you may or may not know, i don't mind cooking at all, in fact i kinda enjoy it. but, what i don't like is the actual decision process - coming up with what to actually make for dinner. but that's gonna change. 2010 is the time for a new me & a new meal plan. each & every monday i am going to be posting my weekly meal plan. i know, it isn't exactly a new or novel concept, but i'm hoping that being held accountable is going to be the motivating factor i need, to get my butt in gear, to actually do the work, & sit down to make a weekly menu plan.
i'm betting you already plan your menus. i highly doubt this a new concept to anyone, but me. if you do, i'm going to encourage you to post your menus here too. or, even better, post your menus on your own blog, & just leave a link here. i know i could use all the meal ideas i could get, & would love to know what some of your family favorites are. so, without further ado, here is week one of menu monday mania...
* monday: crock pot chicken tacos
* tuesday: chicken tortellini soup
* wednesday: home made pizza (i need YOUR help with this one. anyone have any recipe suggestions for dough or sauce?)
* thursday: meatball "hero" sandwiches
* friday: creamy chicken roll-ups
so there you have it. a collection of 5 yummy meals my family is going to eat this week. & to be perfectly honest it wasn't all that hard. although, i'm a little worried i may have used up all my tasty recipes the first week out. hopefully, one or maybe even two of you, will play along with my little game. i'm definitely in need of some new ideas for next week!
Monday, January 4, 2010
menu monday mania: week 1
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37 comments:
I used to do this on my blog too. Now instead, I just post my weekly menu on my side-bar so throughout the week, people can still read it. I'm excited to see your recipes and hopefully add to mine! If you want to take a look at my favorite recipes, you can go to my food blog:
http://beckysrecipes.blogspot.com
There is also a pizza crust recipe there that I use all the time. It's SO easy and really good. It's under "breadsticks" because you can make breadsticks out of it too. Good luck and Happy New Year!
I love planning my menus and have been doing it for years now. It makes life so easy! I plan a month at a time that way I only have to sit down once and do it. I have never thought about posting it on my blog though so I may consider it. Have fun trying new things!
Menu planning makes my life so much easier. I just started posting my menus on my blog.
http://tktomkinson.blogspot.com/2010/01/meals-2009-week-1.html
I think I'll try your chicken crockpot tacos next week.
I cheat and use trader joes pizza crust when I am in a pinch, we had homemade potato pizza's last night :)
I put my meal plans on our family google calendar that way my husband doesn't eat something for lunch that I'm planning for dinner. This week is:
Monday--leftover chinese from the weekend
Tuesday--crockpot pulled pork sandwiches
Wednesday--tacos
Thursday--pasta night (probably will be baked ziti)
Friday--out
Saturday--homemade pizza night
so for the pizza idea. A great idea that I got from my friend and LOVE now is to make pizze dough (just use a basic dough recipe. Seperate it into how many people are eating. Roll each piece out into a rectangle. Let everyone put what they want on their's. For example: cheese, pepperoni, olives, artichoke hearts, canadian bacon, pineapple, etc. Don't put the sauce on the pizza's. Roll them up like cinnamon rolls. From the longer end of the rectangle. Cut into cinnamon roll shapes using a knife or floss. Put on a baking sheet and bake on a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Serve with heated pizza sauce. We call it Pizza Bread. It's yummy and each kid can make their own creation!!!
Becky: your the best. I've already boolarkes tons of your recipes to try. And I'm totally going to try the pizza dough.
Now someone please, I need a recipe for sauce!
Winston family: I so admire you. One day I too will be able to plan an entire month in one sitting. But for now, I'm taking baby steps. & you should for sure post your menu.
Kim: I LOVE that you already posting your menus. Come back next week & post another link. You ate definitely inspiring me to try some couscous.
Carrie: trader joes? Brilliant! And what exactly is potatoe pizza?
Lex: the google calendar is such a great idea. I doubt the hubbu will check my blog to see what's on the menu!
StakerSensations: I LOVE all the pizza ideas. You are awesome. Keep those ideas coming!
Here is my fav. pizza dough. No fail, so yummy, and it is from WolfGang Puck.. if you need anything more than that, you're crazy!
http://favoritefamilyfood.blogspot.com/2008/12/pizza-dough.html
Our family weekly favs:
http://pandlfamily.blogspot.com/2007/09/jeans-chicken-curry.html
http://pandlfamily.blogspot.com/2008/01/karens-pulled-pork-sandwiches.html
http://favoritefamilyfood.blogspot.com/2008/02/salt-lake-tortellini-salad.html
http://favoritefamilyfood.blogspot.com/2008/02/moms-cashew-chicken.html
http://pandlfamily.blogspot.com/2008/02/thai-peanut-sauce-with-chicken.html
Oh, and this one... it is my hubby's fav.
http://pandlfamily.blogspot.com/2007/09/mongolian-beef-pf-changs.html
Hey Kelly I post menus on my blog too - I usually post them on Fridays as I l like to shop and prep on the weekends and have less to do during the week. Planning a week out is SOO helpful! Can't wait to try some of yours!!
I love to make pizza dough - but my 2 cheater tricks are 1.) if you have NO time use a Boboli crust and just top it. There are even small ones that kids can do their own. 2.) I use Bridgford frozen loaves. They are GREAT for pizza dough, cinnamon rolls and bread!
Here's my menu for this week:
http://www.myfavoriteeverything.com/planner/
Ad for Marinara sauce - Classico Italian Sausage is super yummy. For a more grown up one, I also love to use Trader Joe's Bruschetta
Have fun!
This looks great Kelly. Maybe I'll finally get my butt in gear and get my poor family fed at home nightly. Looks like I can get a lot of ideas from all of the great folks commenting here too, thanks!
you don't know me, i am just really grateful you are posting this because meals/dinner time/home cooked food in bellys is my ONLY serious resolution. i too, don't mind cooking but orchestrating the whole thing slips through my fingers A LOT.
Would it be sad if I copied your idea and your meals? I'm the worst at making home-cooked meals, but if someone else plans out the calendar for me, then maybe life could change.
BTW, Fresh & Easy sells refrigerated pizza dough for about $1.50. It's perfect for making homemade pizzas. (That's one of my staples!)
Hi! Happy New Year! I have a chalkboard in my kitchen that I write my weekly dinners out on...it's helped keep me organized when it comes to meal planning, most of the time! We do pizza nights on friday nights (usually) and I LOVE getting sauce and dough from Claro's Italian Markets
1095 E Main Street Tustin, CA 92680(714) 832-3081
(cross streets are newport ave. and bryan) (CLOSED ON WED I THINK)It's really yummy and cheap compared to buying pizza from elsewhere. Good Luck! I'll plan mine and post soon! Em
menu planning is one of my goals for 2010 as well! so that means i'll probably be stealing some of your menus.
i use a foccacia bread recipe for my pizza crust, and for sauce I just spread on canned tomato sauce and sprinkle it with some italian seasoning blend i have. probably kind of boring.
I'm a little relieved to read I'm not the only mom who has yet to figure out the meal-planning thing! It's one of my resolutions, too. My current strategy of waiting until 6pm to figure something out, is not working so well!
We have a lot of healthy, easy recipes at the other blog I write for:
wwww.mamamanifesto.com
Mon- Salmon, rice and broc
Tues- Ziti
Wed- Pork Chop Skillet
Thurs- Chili
Fri- Pizza
Love your menu ideas! You're so inspiring. When you find good pizza sauce/crust ideas pass them on too! :)
I enjoy a blog called your home based mom. Shes alwayse got excelent ideas and recipes!! A while ago she did Pizza Hut Pan Pizza. It is AWSOME!! Here is the link http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/pizza-hut-pan-pizza/
Good Luck!!
Pioneer Woman's pizza dough is super easy. We LOVE it. I can't find it online but it's in her cookbook which is also awesome.
ooh- what a great idea! i'll join next week! we're going out of town this week, so someone else will be doing all my cooking! : )
happy monday,
rachel
I use Pillsbury Hot Roll mix for pizza dough ... it turns out A-MAZE-ING!
Lindsey: Oh! My! Gosh! I Love all your recipes. don't be at all surprised if next week, my entire menu links back to you! and i'm a huge wolfgang puck fan, can't wait to try that dough.
Shanna - how in the world are you so on top of things? you amaze me! will definitely check out your menus and love the boboli idea!
laura: come on girl. next week you definitely need to post your menu!
kara: so glad i can help! you & me, we can do this together. we will menu plan this year.
elise: not sad at all. i know exactly what you mean. i'm terrible at menu planning. feel free to use my menus. & i LOVE fresh & easy. why didn't i ever think of that?
emily: LOVE claro's. It's such a fun find. My real estate agent actually introduced it to me when we first moved to Orange County!
kathryn: a foccacia pizza crust? do share the recipe please!
Kristen: i think we live identical lives. we really need to get together irl life again. can't wait to check out all the recipes. any particular favs?
alicia: YUM! what's your favorite pizza?
Laura: I will definitely share my pizza dough & sauce finds!
Holly: yum! can't wait to check out that recipe. fabulous find!
M&M: I just got that recipe book! I will definitely try that recipe dough!
Rachel: can't wait to see your menu next week. have a fun vacay!
gretchen: seriously?! pillsbury hot roll mix? could it be that simple?
next week my ENTIRE menu just might be pizza, pizza, pizza. i've got to try all these fabulous ideas!
Great idea! I love your cute new photo, too.
Thank You Kelly for posting this...I enjoy looking at all your selections...don't be surprised when you hear me knocking on your door..oh and I might have the family with me too...make sure you set your table for 3 extra peeps...
I try to map out my weeks meals also, but lack inspiration a lot! And I like to try new things... So I will appreciate your sharing! Good Luck!
making pizzas is kinda my thing -- I have this dough recipe that is no fail every time. I think it's pretty normal, no frills so I don't know why it's SO DANG GOOD, but it is. here is the link:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quick-and-Easy-Pizza-Crust/Detail.aspx
the dough works great both grilled on the bbq or just baked in your oven. also, the recipe says you can just let it rest for 5 minutes with no need to let it rise, but I always let it rise. so I'm not sure how the quick version works, I'm assuming just fine. oh, and if I'm making a red sauce pizza (or bread sticks) I've been known to throw a tablespoon or so of herbs in there too. delisch!
For homemade pizzas (okay, they're not quite 100% "homemade) we use pocketless pitas as our crust. Top w/ sauce and toppings and cook at 375* for about 10 minutes and you've got personal-sized pizzas. It's good for us because we don't always agree on what toppings we want so everybody ends up with their own.
travelin'oma: you need to post some of your award winning recipes soon!
Angry Julie Monday: you guys are welcome any time
Shepherd Family ACAL: Weeks at a time? I can hardly come up with 5 ideas. you are such an inspiration!
Anna Jo: Thanks for the recipe. will definitely try! & grilled pizze? I will definitely have to try!
Patricia: great idea! i love using pitas for pizza!
We use spaghetti sauce for our pizza sauce. The trick is to use a very little bit. Enough to cover. Too much and all of your toppings will slide off. I have seen cans of pizza sauce that are inexpensive. Plus a squeeze bottle. Good luck!
Just happened upon your blog today and liked your menu planning post, I too am trying to do this! Wanted to share this awesome pizza dough recipe. Its amazing and easy. I used whatever sauce I had on hand and did whatever toppings we wanted but the crust was great. I would def. recommend using the pizza stone! Hope you try it sometime.
Then I didn't leave the recipe! Duh?
http://www.crumblycookie.net/2009/11/28/traditional-pizza/
We love grilling pizza in the summer. Throw your dough on the grill, flip and work fast with the last side. Sauce, toppings, and cheese, then turn the heat off and close the lid to let the cheese melt. We do store bought dough balls, that I let rise all day. And canned sauce with pepperoni and mozerella. Or pesto with sun dried tomatos. Or barbecue chicken and gorgonzola.
i always use a simple dough recipe. it is fast too. 1 pkg yeast, 1 c warm water, 2 T olive oil. mix all this together. let it sit while you mix 1 c whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 c. regular flour, 1 t sugar and 1 t salt. mix together. knead into nice ball. let sit and rise for 5 minutes. roll out to fit pan. heat oven to 375, olive oil your pan, top with sauce and cheese. bake for 25-28 minutes. voila, homemade pizza!!!
Kelly,
I see that I'm too late to help with the pizza for tonight, but as I just saw your post I thought I'd share anyway.
I've got a Gourmet Vegetarian (with chicken if you like) pizza recipe on my recipe blog. It's really the most delicious pizza ever. I've also got the dough recipe that I use and love on there.
http://couplethatcooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/pizza-dough.html
http://couplethatcooks.blogspot.com/2009/05/gourmet-vegetarian-w-optional-chicken.html
The blog's a work in progress, and I have been a bit of a slacker and haven't posted anything in a bit...i only have 50-60 recipes started in my drafts, but haven't found the time to finish them!
best of luck and enjoy;)
love it! i couldn't cook anything last year, so we started a little recipe card club, and a mini blog was born! now i keep recipes in card format over there... and there's a great pizza sauce recipe. towards the end of the year, i started doing two week menus (i'm semi-haphazard about posting them though), and created a menu board for my kitchen to keep me going! i love the difference it's made and i'm re-inspired by your post...good on you. also, small request, since i'm so visual, i'd love a pic of how your creamy chicken roll ups are supposed to look when you make them??? i'd love to try them!
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