a month of meals

i've either entered the nesting phase or have WAY too much time on my hands.  however, i have read on quite a few blogs lately and talked with a few friends...apparently planning meals out and doing the shopping for a month of dinners is a money saver/time saver.  i already spend very little on groceries, but lately we have been going over our budget.  mostly, because with this pregnancy comes pregnancy brain, morning sickness, and "ohmygodiamsotired i can't even make a sandwich". it all leads to eating out more and/or prepackaged dinners bought at the last minute. both not all that delicious.
also, i think by not really planning out snacks and lunches and times that i can't bear to prepare food, i end up leaving myself with a kitchen with no back up plan.  supermom isn't making as many appearances these days. hence, the frozen pizza and ravioli on my grocery list.
so....i went down the road of crazy and planned a month of meals. feel free to poach any or all of these for your own planning purposes.
a few things... this plan took me about an hour to do.  i stuck with mostly staple dinners and threw a couple of new recipes in there. i typically have a pretty well stocked pantry so i just needed to replace a few items.  it may vary based on your pantry. the meat, frozen food, and pantry items will be purchased once this month.  some of the produce that keeps well, like carrots, potatoes, onions, and sugar snap peas, will be purchased once. the same with the dairy...some like shredded cheese i can buy once and freeze or some like buttermilk have a long shelf life. otherwise, i will (of course) be making small, short trips to the store weekly based on what perishables i need to stock up on. or telling mike to do it. finally, i  did 26 dinners instead of 31 to allow room for leftovers and the holidays.  also, i will be picking 4 - 6 dinners from the list weekly to make instead of planning every single night of the month. the bulk of my shopping is done at costco, aldi, and fareway.

here is the meal plan:

snacks
cut veggies + dip (ranch seasoning with yogurt)
fruit
quick bread gone healthy (check pinterest)
granola + yogurt
hummus
bean dip
hard boiled eggs
cottage cheese
smoothies (i just buy a bunch of cheap frozen fruit and wing it)
granola bars ( we love these nature valley brand protein bars they sell at costco)
goldfish crackers (i'm succumbing)

lunches
leftovers
grilled cheese
noodles or cheese ravioli
sandwiches

breakfast
whole wheat pancakes
french toast
eggs + breakfast meat
toast
yogurt
biscuits + gravy (clearly reserved for the weekend. i'm not that much of a fatty.)

dinners
1. crockpot chile colorado burritos with rice
2. chili rellano casserole
3. lasagna with salad
4. crockpot chili
5. crockpot beef stroganoff with salad
6. beef satay with ramen in peanut ginger sauce
7. baked sausages with apples, onions, and potatoes
8. italian sausage meatball sandwiches with salad
9. sloppy joes with baked fries and cut veggies
10. baked penne with salad
11. crockpot stuffed peppers with mashed potatoes
12. sausage, bean, and kale stew
13. (venison) steak salad with tomatoes, onion, and bleu cheese
14. tuna noodle casserole with salad
15. venison roast with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots
16. shepard's pie (with leftover roast & potatoes from #15)
17. crockpot korean ribs with rice and braised cabbage
18. baked sausages with colcannon + applesauce (use cabbage from #17 for colcannon)
19. greek burgers with pita, cukes, tomatoes, feta, and onion
20. sausages with latkes + applesauce
21. braised short ribs with polenta and roasted veg (christmas dinner?)
22. venison enchiladas with rice
23. crockpot chili
24. baked fried chicken drumsticks with rainbow salad
25. macaroni + cheese
26. black eyed peas with leeks and kielbasa and cornbread (new years eve)

....
so far, i have spent about $100 - 150 less than i typically would for the whole month. we shall see how the rest of the month goes...i will give updates.  also, let me know if you all try this or already do it.  i'd love to hear your thoughts.  so far, i really like having a fully stocked kitchen with all the ingredients to make over half of these meals. now if only we could get a massive snow storm...
....
check out january's month of meals plan and to read more about what i learned by planning dinner out for a whole month!

tilapia with mustard cream sauce

years ago, when mike and i first started dating i used to make him dinners that included fish or chicken. then i learned that he thinks fish or chicken are diet meat. he's a farm boy, what can i say? sure we still eat fish or chicken, but not as often as i'd like. most of the time it is red meat or vegetarian with a side of meat for mike. plus, nothing sounds less appetizing then chicken when you are pregnant.  fish, though, i crave and love when i am pregnant. i have been craving this recipe that was one of the first meals i ever made for mike.  back then i am sure i served it with something very expected like rice and asparagus.  this time i served it with roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts.  it was as delicious as i remember and so easy.  wonderful for this holiday season where we need something fast, easy, and healthy for dinner. sure it has cream in it, but it is a minimal amount so you won't die. also, last night i felt baby #2 move for the first time (and boy was it having a party!!) so perhaps we have another fish lover in this family. hendrix chose to dip his dinner in the sauce because that's what toddlers do...they dip their food.
.....
tilapia with mustard cream sauce
4 tilapia fillets (or any similar white fish)
salt
pepper
fresh thyme
3/4 c. of chicken broth
2 T. cream
2 T. Dijon mustard
heat olive oil in a skillet.  season fish with salt, pepper, and thyme.  cook fish for 1 minute each side in  heated skillet. add chicken broth and bring to a simmer for about 3 minutes. carefully remove fish and keep warm.  at this point you can add a bit of sliced mushrooms or chopped spinach if you like.  if you do then just cook until veg is cooked through. whisk in cream and mustard.  cook until warm, about 1 minute.  serve sauce over fish. 

thankful tuesdays

good advice if you are preparing the feast.

we're all thankful for something this time of year. hopefully.  even in my family's darkest moments we have found gratitude.  i know this year has been full of ups and downs for everyone including my family.  i do hope that we all have a chance to gather on thursday, eat good food, and take a moment to give thanks.  here's what i am most thankful for...

• my husband, my son, and the growing, very hungry baby in my belly 
• the super folks  heroes at the heart ministry center that delivered thanksgiving meals for over 400 families in the omaha metro last saturday
• my brother and his family who are making our thanksgiving feast
• all the coats the preschool parents, parishioners, and CCD children at our preschool collected for the heart ministry center's clients
• my MIL is getting better everyday and can use a walker and get herself out of chairs.  she'll be home in a couple of weeks!!
• that i live a world where a parent can overcome his greatest grief to celebrate his children and make life better for other kids through art.
• that it is tuesday which means it only two more days to my favorite holiday!!

have a happy thanksgiving all!

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feeling guilty about all the yummy food? drink a smoothie.  smoothies solve almost all problems.

blueberry banana smoothie

1 frozen banana

1 c. frozen blueberries

1 1/2 T/ ground flax seed

1/2 c. vanilla yogurt

1/2 - 3/4 c. milk 

blend together in blender and feel the guilt melt away. 

homemade runzas

an actual runza.  

last week i posted runzas on my must haves for the freezer and had a few folks ask me what a runza is...besides telling them that they are bread stuffed with deliciousness, i thought i would share my go to recipe.  these are definitely a weekend kitchen project. however, they freeze/reheat great and are pretty fun to make. kids can easily help fill and fold the runzas, too.

homemade runzas
{filling}
2 lbs of ground meat, preferably beef
1 large onion, chopped
salt
pepper
1 medium head of cabbage, shredded
american cheese, optional
{dough}
4 1/2 c. flour, divided
1 /2 c. sugar
2 pkgs. (4 1/2 t.) of active dry yeast
1 t. salt
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. shortening
3/4 c. milk
2 eggs

{make dough} combine 1 3/4 c. flour, sugar, salt, and yeast.  heat milk, water, and shortening to 120 degrees.  pour over flour mixture and add eggs. beat with standing mixer for 4 minutes.  stir in remaining flour. knead, with standing mixer,  until smooth and elastic. about 6-8 minutes. cover for 1 hr.
meanwhile {make filling} in large dutch oven, saute onion in a bit of oil or butter.  add meat and brown.    add cabbage and cook until wilted.  season very well with salt and pepper.

{assemble runzas} on a large floured surface, roll out dough.  you want the dough to rolled out to a little more than 1/4 inch thickness.  this is where it can get tricky...you now need to divide your rolled out dough into a even number, same sized rectangles. they should be about 8" x 6".  fill half of the long side, of each rectangle, with your meat filling.  add cheese if you so desire. fold the dough over the meat filling and pinch the sides to make sure nothing delicious escapes. repeat.

{to eat immediately} place on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown

{to prepare for freezing}  place on a baking sheet and  par bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for no more than 10 minutes.  cool completely and individually wrap in plastic wrap and then store in a freezer bag.  good for up to six months.

{to heat from freezer} wrap runza in foil, bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.

hunkering down + planning

i've decided to spend the day planning next year's garden and planning our advent calendar activities.  weird, i know.  i think i have a bit of a cold and still have morning sickness combined with nesting.  so i have to make the best of a stupid situation. i may or may not make dinner. also, i am excited for my new glasses that are supposed to come today.  in the meantime, make yourself some oatmeal...

pumpkin pie oatmeal

1/4 c. of canned pumpkin

1 generous T. of brown sugar

generous sprinkle of baking or pumpkin pie spice

1/2 c. of oats

1 c. of water

combine ingredients in small pot and cook on med until cooked through.  about 5 minutes.

getting in the groove

weeks 13 and 14 of this pregnancy were a bit rough as far as the morning sickness goes...i've had morning sickness since about 5 weeks so i'm kind of over it.  plus, i'm now in this weird morning sickness + nesting phase which leads to a lot of unfinished projects, a house that looks like a bomb hit, and a grumpy mommy at the end of the day.  i also have not done much cooking or meal planning for the past two months.  see the empty slots on our what's for dinner page for proof.  i'm not promising that i'll be getting back to that anytime soon, either.  however, i did more cooking and prep this past week/weekend then i have in a long time.  yesterday i cut up a bunch of fruit for the week, hard boiled a dozen eggs for snack times, made granola for my morning yogurt, made a pot of black eyed peas (i froze some and saved some for my favorite 101 cookbooks recipe), doubled our dinner so that i could put some in the freezer, and made these cookies with hendrix.  oh, and i made breakfast instead of making mike take us out. for the first time, in a long time i feel like i have a head start on this week's meals and snacks.  this pregnancy has me craving protein like crazy and eating small meals throughout the day does better for me.  so, if i have no quick snacks then bad things happen and i get sick. hopefully, this week is a little better and my prepping helps out.

here's what we're having for dinner this week...

chile colorado burritos with yellow rice and pineapple
tartiflette with green salad
black eyed peas with leeks (adding beef kielbasa for mike)
venison chops with mashed potatoes and sauteed collards with mushrooms
mushroom meatloaf with roasted brussel sprouts and cheddar squash muffins

{check out amy's meatless mondays for great ideas or a whole month of meatless mondays.}

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if you are in the omaha metro area and are wanting to help make thanksgiving special for folks in need then please consider joining the dessert drive that the heart ministry is hosting this week.

if you'd like to help the folks and small businesses in NYC that were affected by sandy then check this site out.

whoa baby. here we go again.

hendrix made this in preschool

well, it's official.  we're expecting.  for those of you who have been reading this blog for awhile you know that i have been baby crazy since about hendrix's first birthday.  i am happy to say that shortly after hendrix's fourth birthday in march we will be saying hello to another baby.  baby #2 is due may 7th.   i'm getting pretty excited now that the morning sickness is starting to go away and my energy is coming back.  also, if your morning sickness is real bad....zofran is your friend. for reals. hendrix is pretty pumped too and has been pretty great on the days i am feeling especially gross or tired.  mike is like a deer in headlights, but what can you expect?
which brings me to the story i promised to tell all of you...the one about how we brought hendrix home and we had no food in the house.  hendrix was born about 2 1/2 weeks before his due date and i was on bed rest the week before he was born. silly me thought you actually went around your due date and that i had time.  i did not.  also, mike can not be trusted at the grocery store.  i remember coming up with a list of a few things for him to get based on a few quick meals i figured i could throw together.  he came back with cans of chef boyardee. gross.  see why i insist on giving new parents food, slow cookers, and recipes? i did, however, have my slow cooker that my girlfriend, becky, had given me at my baby shower.  becky has five boys...i think she understood the need for a momma to have some arsenal and how great it is to receive something non-baby related at your shower.  because really...how many blankets and hats does one baby need?  i broke that slow cooker out and used it all the time.  it was a few weeks though before i could really come up for air and go to the store for what i really needed....easy snacks + meals. let's face it, actual meals don't always happen in the first few weeks. so, that brings me to what i think you really need to stock your pantry, fridge, and freezer with before the baby arrives....

snack time!
granola (loose and bars)
yogurt
applesauce
hummus + pita chips
black beans, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips
cut veggies
oatmeal
fruit
dark chocolate

homemade freezer meals!
lasagna
pizza dough
marinara
pizza pockets
runzas
quiche
sliced meatloaf for sandwiches
pot pies
rainbow soup
quinoa pancakes
whole grain muffins
chicken hand pies
enchilada's
burritos

store bought freezer meals!
ravioli
trader joe's gyoza dumplings (so good!)
trader joe's burritos
.....

• if you are still building your pantry, check out my pantry checklist.  to spread the cost out when building your pantry just add a few items every week to your shopping list.  you'll get there in no time. 
• to see more tips on prepping food for a new parents, check this post out. 
• to see what supplies i think a new baby and parents actually need...check this post out. 

anything i am missing? let me know.  be kind, though.  remember i have pregnancy brain.