Menu plan for the week of January 10, 2010

And so it continues.
We've not even had the Cosco card for a month, and already we're planning our next trip. Still, if we're careful then the purchase of a membership at our local bulk store is a wise decision. Figures though, one week after getting the card and we stumble on a 1/2 price sale for toilet paper. So that's one thing we won't be buying at Cosco for a while.

They have everything at Cosco. It's rather intimidating. Being part of a household of two - any six pack of consumables that can't be frozen (bread, baked goods, cheeses, etc) are problematic, and even those that can be frozen (meats, finished meals, etc) are often so large that my new and ginormous fridge-freezer is too small to store them properly. It's a hard question to ask. But do you really need to purchase a six month supply of eggs, shampoo and office supplies? The savings on such things are often marginal at best. But if you're careful, you can find a few deals. Note to self: pack a calculator and your price book.

As always, lunches are leftovers. Snacks are fresh fruits/vegetables with simple dips. Breakfast is toast & natural peanut butter or oatmeal. My drinks of choice are tea, diet coke and water (unfortunately, in that order). My goal this week is to get through to Friday without ordering in or not making something on the menu. Wish me luck!

Sunday 10	Breakfast: Egg sandwich, whole grain, turkey sausage. Tea. Snack: Rice cakes Lunch: Smoked meat sandwich, diet coke. Snack: Kellog's bar Dinner: Chicken nuggets & mixed green salad. Diet coke.
	It was my day to cook; I just didn't cook dinner. Dinner was frozen chicken nuggets with a bag of mixed salad and bottled salad dressing. Yummy - but not home cooked. Today I baked two turkey legs (strained and saved the broth, shredded the meat and saved the bones for soup. I made 4l of chicken broth (with mostly leftover vegetables and a bit of chicken bones) in the crock pot, and a cooked up two breakfasts worth of blackberry multi-grain oatmeal.
Monday 11	Breakfast: Tea. Blackberry multi-grain oatmeal. Snack: Kellog's bar Lunch: Risotto & cassoulet. Apple & diet coke Snack: cottage cheese Dinner: Hearty Ministrone soup and leftover bread. Tea. Snack: Banana bread?
	This is a great bean soup with a few vegetables. It tastes best when made with homemade stock, but any stock will do. The recipe I'm using makes enough for 4 hungry people; so I'm hoping to have a small amount left over for lunches. I also hope to make some more banana bread (mostly for breakfasts later in the week, but also as tonight's desert). Only time will tell if this happens though.
Tuesday 12	Deli-style coleslaw and meatball subs
	A classic combination, this is another version of a very sloppy joe. The meatballs are drenched in freshly made tomato sauce that is barely even seasoned. I am just as apt to use store-bought meatballs as homemade for this recipe; but the tomato sauce is simple and comes together so quickly that it is worth making from scratch. The coleslaw is creamy and gives the meal the traditional deli twist that would be otherwise lacking from eating on real plates with cutlery.
Wednesday 13	Basic sauteed chicken cutlets with mixed green salad
	This is quickly becoming a winter staple for me. The chicken breasts and flattened (or cut, depending on how I feel) and then pan fried in very little oil. Sometimes I make a sauce, but most times I don't.
Thursday 14	Risotto and Martedi and possibly apple pie
	Can you tell I have people coming over? Risotto is a pleasantly creamy dish that goes well with anything. Martedi is a recipe (of sorts) by Fae; and a great way to feed a crowd with very little preparation. The dinner isn't gorgeous, but it is delicious. There's been a request in my house for me to make another apple pie. I've given a definite maybe to the request. If it's gonna happen -- it will be the night folk come over.
Friday 15	Soda biscuits and turkey a la king
	The recipe is for chicken a la king, but I have leftover (cooked) turkey thanks to the cooking I did on Sunday. Soda biscuits are the easiest bread you'll ever make and come together in less than 30 minutes. They'll be put in the oven as soon as the turkey a la king goes onto the stove and both should be ready about the same time.