Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Meal Planning: February 17-28

I'm in a rut.  I want to make tasty and delicious sounding things like this white bean soup or this hot pot or even these chickpea crepes.  But, I know my kids will whine and complain (or burst into tears when dinner is served...it's happened).  It's such a struggle to cook interesting things and be respectful of what the kids might actually eat. 

I'm sick of noodles and typical American food.  I want curry, chickpea crepes, white bean and kale soup, and hot pot!  As my son would yell, "IT'S NOT FAIR!!"  I think I need to start a new night...Mama-gets-to-experiment-night. 

But, until that night is established, I'm cooking some boring stuff that I hope my kids will eat. 




Here's the plan!

Spaghetti & Meatballs
I use the modifications from and serve on whole wheat spaghetti.
 
Grilled Cheese and Thai Butternut Squash Soup (from freezer)
I used American Multi Grain sliced bread from New French Bakery - my new favorite bread.  These were some tasty sandwiches. 

Quesadillas and Fruit
I made tortillas with my MOMS Club this week and will stuff them with a mix of pepper jack and cheddar.  Maybe some sauteed mushrooms, too.  We'll be eating kiwi because I somehow ordered 4 lbs of it.  We like kiwi, but 4 lbs is a lot!

Lentils and Sausages (floater meal from last week)
We have these fancy lentils from Paris to use.

Homemade Pizza and Buffalo Cauliflower
Have you tried Buffalo Cauliflower?  So, so, so good!

Fried Rice and Easy Eggrolls
The eggroll recipe is from one of my favorite books, Simple Suppers from Moosewood Restaurant.

Bean & Rice (think Chipotle Burrito Bowl)
This is our standard "cheap eat".  We top with whatever we have on hand.

Pulled Pork on Homemade Buns, Corn & Potatoes
I made some homemade burger buns a few weeks ago and have some leftovers in the fridge.  I also scored a "manager's special" pork roast.

Chili
I'm on the hunt for a go-to Chili recipe.  This one is super simple but will it be tasty enough?

Taco Salad
Or this might become Nachos.  Same ingredients, different focus.  Will it be a lettuce or tortilla chip kind of day?

Homemade Pizza
With who knows what on top.  That's how I roll.

Dessert Nights: Ice cream, Lemon Bars (did you see how many lemons I have?!)

What are YOU cooking this week?

7 comments:

  1. This post is very timely! I just had a long conversation with my best friend about dinner time with the kiddos. I'm not one to make multiple meals on a given night, but it's super frustrating when you spend lots of time on new recipes to have them take one look and declare "I don't like it!" I like your idea of Mama gets to experiment night!
    As for our meals this week (I plan them out weekly) We are doing fish tonight, chicken chili tomorrow night, we had quesadillas last night, tacos the night before and chicken stir fry before that. I think it's funny how similar some of our meals are to yours :-)

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  2. Thanks for reading, Summer! I won't make a separate meal for the kids unless what I make is super spicy. I will sometimes give the option of an apple but there have been many nights where Jillian has only eaten sour cream.

    Great minds think alike, right? ;)

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  3. I was in a rut so I subscribed to weelicious menus and I've been really pleased. The meals are tasty and both the adults and kids have enjoyed them! I think I'm going to have to try the egg roll recipe that you posted! Love the produce picture :)

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    1. FYI - Dinner A Love Story has a great white bean and kale soup. My kids even liked it! Not sure if it's on the website but it is in book! Let me know if you want it!

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  4. Thanks for reading, Jennifer!

    I'd like to try more recipes from weelicious! I would love the white bean and kale soup recipe!

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    1. Kale, Sausage, and White Bean Stew p.250 of Dinner a Love Story
      1 onion, chopped
      3 TBS olive oil
      2 garlic cloves, minced
      Salt and pepper to taste
      1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
      4 to 6 links (about 1 1/4 lbs) Italian chicken or pork sausage, casings removed
      1 32 ounce container chicken brother
      1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
      2 14 ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
      1 large bunch kale, washed, stems removed, and chopped into small pieces
      Drizzle of red wine vinegar (about 2 TBS)
      Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

      Saute the onion in the oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic salt and pepper, and pepper flakes and cook, stirring 1 minute.
      Add in the sausage, breaking it up with a fork, and brown until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the broth (add less if you like your stew more chunky, less brothy), tomatoes, and cannellini beans (rinsed and drained). Bring to a boil. Add the kale, simmer until wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in a drizzle of red wine vinegar and serve stew with a lot of freshly grated Parmesan and crusty bread.

      Enjoy!

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