Menu Plan Monday - week of 8.18.08

I'm actually here to post my menu! Since our week will include trips to the hospital to visit my mom, I've kept the plan very simple.

I also don't expect to follow through on all of this, but for me, the point of menu planning is to have a focused grocery list and to make sure I have options available when I need them.

After a crazy couple of months, I'm very happy to get back to menu planning and at least have one normal routine again. I think I'm starting to remember what it's like to grocery shop and cook.

Here is my rough plan for this week:

Monday - chicken pot pie from a lovely person at church, who made this and froze it so I could us it whenever I needed to. What a great idea!
Tuesday - Chicken tacos
Wednesday - Hamburgers on the grill, fries
Thursday - Pork roast in the crock pot, scalloped potatoes
Friday - Chicken in the crock pot, stuffing

Here are my "recipes" (I use this term loosely):

Chicken tacos
1 pound frozen chicken breasts
1 can tomatoes w/green chilies
1 packet taco seasoning

Mix canned tomatoes and taco seasoning. Put chicken in crock pot and pour tomato mixture on top. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Shred chicken and use for tacos, or this is also great for casseroles.

Pork Roast in the crock pot
1 pork roast
pork rub, or whatever seasoning you want (I make this up as I go)
a little water, or chicken broth, or sometimes I live life on the edge and I don't use *any* liquid because the pork can cook in it's own juices

Put seasoning on pork. Put pork in the crock pot. Add the water/broth (or not, if you are feeling crazy and adventurous). Cook on low all day. Come home to really juicy pork, eat it, and then shred the leftovers and use them for pork bbq sandwiches.

Simple chicken in the crock pot
Chicken (I'll be using a couple pounds of chicken thighs, and they'll probably be mostly frozen when I put them in)
1 can cream of something soup (cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, cream of celery - whatever you have on hand)

Put the chicken in the crock pot. Pour the cream soup on top. Cook on low 7-8 hours, depending on the size of your crock pot and how much chicken you use, etc.

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I don't know if you can call these recipes - they are more like a working mother's attempt at home cooking without making it too complicated, but without resorting to fish sticks, frozen pizza, and chef boyardee.

(Rest assured that vegetables will also be included, but I'm not sure which ones on what night.)

That's all for now. Go to http://orgjunkie.com/ for more meal ideas!

P.S. Stacie, I don't know if you are famous, exactly, but I am tickled to know that you read my blog. :-D I hope you have a great morning with my sister!

P.P.S. Thanks for the prayers for my mom! Later today I hope to have a few minutes to post some specific prayer requests for her surgery tomorrow.