Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Menu Planning Mania: Behind the Curve Ball!!

Yesterday was Monday (you didn't know that, did you?!) and I had no idea what was for supper other than chicken. You'd think that I would be motivated by the concept from Menu Plan Monday...or by my own post about the 30 Meal Deal!! 


Procrastination seemed to be the name of the game for me and I had my feet headed in the wrong direction this week!! I should do what I blog just as much as we should do our pins. If we don't, we are not redeeming the time!!

Of course, I have a good excuse (don't we all!!) since my oldest son drove 16 hours to get home for a long weekend. We were all still enjoying him. 

So, I made a salad.

Then, I threw corn into a pot. I was really behind the curve ball because it needed to be DONE but it was supposed to cook 4 hours in the crock pot!!

My sweet 19 year old daughter came to the rescue when I discovered that I had run out of oil. No miracles here. I had neglected to buy it...but have plenty of food in the house. It is cheaper at Sam's Club would be my excuse. She suggested that she would make Chicken Fingers instead of a recipe which called for oil. 

So, I thought you'd like to have these delicious recipes to add to your Menu Planning while I sit down and make out my dinner menu's for this week. It's Tuesday, and like I said, I am behind the curve ball!!

Cheesy Corn
From Emily over at Honeymooning Hargetts

3 16oz. packages frozen corn
8 oz. package cream cheese, cubed
1/4 cup butter, cubed
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
6 slices American cheese

Directions:

Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours.

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Ultimate Chicken Fingers
From Naomi Anna over at Starlight and Sunshine

2/3 cup Bisquick Mix
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt/garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2" strips
1 egg beaten
3 Tablespoons of butter, melted

Directions:

Mix Bisquick, cheese, salt and paprika in 1-gallon-re-sealable bag. Dip half the chicken strips in egg, place in bag of flour mixture. Shake to coat. Place chicken on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken. Drizzle butter over chicken. 

Bake 12-14 minutes, turning after 6 minutes, till no longer pink in center.

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It is easier for me to operate without a plan and it takes a real effort for me to sit down and menu plan. When I do, I find so many benefits, how about you? 

Do you plan your menu out? Do you take the time to read blogs that encourage you to to menu plan?

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
~Colossians 3:23~


I'd LOVE you to leave a comment!!

Since I live out 'in-the-sticks'... friends, like you are a long ways away!!
Sooo, I'd love you to follow me on: 

~Judith~


9 comments:

  1. The cheesy corn looks too yummy. There are just some things I can't make because I can't stop eating! :)

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    Replies
    1. You are too funny!! Isn't that so true, though?! Sounds like me when someone dishes up ice cream. I should say, no!!

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  2. No menu planning for me! Left over surprise is my specialty. :-)

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  3. LOL...And maybe when everyone stops coming and going and I am cooking for two, I'll stop reverting back to a plan :-)

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  4. I have a hard time with menu planning, it is so overwhelming, but I am working on it. I am trying to simplify one step at a time, and for me that means having the same thing for breakfast with the exception of a day or two a week. Growing up, I complained about my mother almost always making grits or oatmeal for breakfast, except on Saturday when Daddy was home from work. Now I know why she did that! If I can compile a list of favorite recipes, I think that will make dinner planning a lot easier as well, just rotate them. One day soon, perhaps. :)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Naomi, Ahem...um...my children complain about the same thing!! We used to have either some variation of eggs (from chickens) or oatmeal ($10. a 50lb bag) so how could you blame me?! LOL!! Now, they dislike eggs AND oatmeal. Menu planning is not easy for me either and yet I need something to keep me from making spaghetti every other night. That is why I am sharing what I have done. I think making a list of 30 meals, for me, is a good place to (re)start. Somewhere along the way, I have mislaid most of my recipes.

      What might help you is to just make a list for a week. Ruts like me and I make Ziti every week for our church dinner (sorry) and we LOVE homemade pizza every single Saturday. When I started doing pizza it made Saturdays a no-brainer. That only leaves 5 meals to choose. Keep the sheet or place you stored your week's list, make one the next week and then reuse it in a month, or glean from it. I did this for years during the winter. I am loose with it and change what I am doing on a whim!!

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  5. Do you plan breakfast and lunch menus as well or just dinner? I think I partly feel overwhelmed because we get a lot of our food at Costco--but it is over an hour away, so we only go every 4-6 weeks. We also order sometimes from Azure Standard, but again, they only deliver once a month. We do get a few things from the grocery store when we are there, but even that is 1/2 hour away! So I need to learn to plan more in advance than just once a week. Or would it be better to just create a basic shopping list and make a menu out of that? This is definitely an area I need to work on better! I like your homemade pizza night idea, I think that would work well to incorporate into our family as well. Who doesn't love pizza?! :)

    Sorry if I am rambling too much..I don't intend to, just trying to type inbetween interruptions from the children. :)

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  6. Usually just dinner. Sometimes I don't get around to any plan at all...my life is real and I can get unmotivated too (shock!!)!! Your distance to grocery stores posses a problem I am familiar with. We don't have Cosco nearby. I have done Sam's Club for years. That is an hour away. Walmart is 1/2 away. The grocery store is 7 miles. I can't get just anything there because it is too expensive partly because we live in a resort area and the prices get jacked up.

    So, here is what I have done over the years. I had seven kids. So, the word overwhelmed was often in my vocabulary ;-) I used to have a master Sam's list (I need to update it) and then a list for each store I shopped in. I also used to a food co-op once a month. I didn't shop too often according to my menu but basically what I needed on that list. Sometimes I had to knock stuff off the list at the store when I over-planned...you know what I mean?! So, I would have the basic ingredients for basic cooking and when I planned my menu, usually I would have what was needed unless I got too exotic...some recipes just don't call for normal things!!

    Does this help at all? I hope so.

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If you have gone a little way ahead, O friend, call back --
Twill cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track.

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