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Weekly Menu Plan

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Grocery Tip of the week

Same Ingredients But Different Meal

Plan weekly meals that use a lot of the same ingredients. That way you can purchase those items in bulk and only need a few other items.
Jenee

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Monday
  • Beef Taco Skillet
  • Sauteed Zucchini and Squash
  • Favorite Berry Cobbler
Tuesday
  • Mandarin Topped Chops
  • Couscous
  • Broccoli Salad
Wednesday
  • Stir Fry
  • Rice
  • Melon Slices
Thursday
  • Taco Mac Salad
  • Smoothies
Friday
  • Lime Grilled Chicken
  • Sugar Snap Peas
  • Jello-Parfait

 

 

This week's Grocery List can be downloaded here:

Grocery List for July 14-18 , 2008 - PDF

Grocery List for July 14-18 , 2008 - TXT (for PDAs or text editing)

Shopping List Software format (download shopping list free Windows software)

Printer-friendly version

Would you like the nutrition data, point values, and meal makeovers for the current menu?


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Monday Recipes

Notes for Monday:

  1. If you do not have any cooked ground beef in the freezer, be sure to add beef to your shopping list. This would be a good time to buy in bulk and restock your freezer. I have put 5 lbs on the shopping list to make taco seasoned beef as you will see for Thursday's Taco Salad. Cook it all tonight if you wish and leave some unseasoned (at least enough for tonight) and some seasoned with taco seasoning (at least enough for Thursday night). Just be sure to label everything.

  2. With many berries starting to come into season, now is the time to enjoy! Feel free to mix and match more than one kind of berry in your cobbler. I used blueberries and raspberries. Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream if desired.



Menus 4 Moms recipe Beef Taco Skillet
  • 1 lb. browned ground beef (from freezer)
  • 1 can tomato soup
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 6 flour tortillas, cut into 1" pieces
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Thaw beef. In a frying pan, add beef, soup, salsa, water and tortillas. Heat to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir and top with cheese.

Menus 4 Moms recipe Sauteed Squash and Zucchini
  • 2 yellow squash, sliced
  • 2 zucchini, sliced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Heat oil in large frying pan. Add thinly sliced squash and zucchini to oil and saute until desired tenderness is reached. Add salt and pepper to taste and add pecans, if desired.

 

 

 
Menus 4 Moms recipe Favorite Berry Cobbler
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 cups of your favorite berries

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x9 inch baking dish. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in butter, milk, vanilla and egg. Mix until smooth. Gently fold in 2 cups of your favorite berries. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven 35 to 40 minutes, until top is firm and lightly golden.

 

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

  1. Couscous, a staple grain in many North African countries, is a coarsely ground semolina pasta. You can find boxed couscous, both flavored and unflavored, near the rice in your grocery store. If you haven't had couscous before, give it a try. Just follow the directions on the box. My kids love it but be warned...my toddler makes a total MESS eating couscous!



Menus 4 Moms recipe Mandarin Topped Chops
  • 6 pork chops (we like boneless thin pork loin chops but any cut works)
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pepper to taste

In a skillet, brown chops on both sides in oil. Top with oranges, sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until meat juices run clear.

 

Couscous


Menus 4 Moms recipe Broccoli Salad
  • 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
  • 3/4 cup cheddar cheese
  • 2 T. chopped onion
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 T. red wine vinegar* or cider vinegar
  • 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled; or REAL bacon bits*

In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, cheese, and onion. Combine the mayo, sugar, and vinegar; pour over the broccoli mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Just before serving, stir in the bacon.


 

 

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

  1. Calrose rice is not the same as white rice. Look for it with the white rice in your grocery store.


Menus 4 Moms recipe  Stir Fry

  • 14 oz. bag stir-fry frozen vegetables
  • 1 lb. raw boneless chicken*, shrimp, or beef
  • 1 bottle Kikkoman Stir-fry sauce
  • olive oil
  • Calrose rice

Slice or chop meat if using chicken or beef. If using shrimp, peel it and take the tail off. You can use frozen tail-off shrimp if you want to make it easier.

In a wok or large fry pan, sauté meat or shrimp in oil until done. If using shrimp, remove shrimp from pan to prevent overcooking. Add frozen vegetables and cook until hot and water from frozen veggies cooks out. Add shrimp back to veggies. Pour 1/2 - 3/4 bottle of the stir fry sauce over everything and simmer until bubbly. Serve over rice (for children it may be better to serve rice with soy sauce and stir-fry separately).

 

Menus 4 Moms recipe Rice
 

 

Melon Slices


 
 

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

  1. Tonight we will be making taco seasoned ground beef. The grocery list shows 5 pounds ground beef and a pack of taco seasoning per pound. If you did not brown your ground beef on Monday (see Monday notes), then brown your ground beef and follow seasoning packet directions. Make sure to label your freezer stock as "Taco Seasoned Ground Beef".

  2. This recipe is basically a salad with fixings of your choice. If you want to add the onions and green peppers, this would be a good time to buy in bulk, chop and replenish your freezer. You will want to add extra to your shopping list.


Menus 4 Moms recipe Taco Mac Salad
  • 1 box (8 oz.) tri-color spiral macaroni
  • 1 lb. taco seasoned ground beef (see notes above)
  • 1/2 cup green peppers, chopped
  • 1/2 cup onions, chopped
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 carton cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 head lettuce, shredded
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1/2 cup french dressing
  • 1 package nacho doritos

Cook macaroni as directed. Drain. Rinse with cold water. Drain again. In a large bowl mix macaroni, green pepper, onion, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, & seasonings. Chill. Just before serving, stir in warm seasoned ground beef, french dressing and chips. Toss lightly.



Menus 4 Moms recipe Smoothies

  • 1/2 quart vanilla yogurt
  • 1 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup orange juice

Combine all ingredients in a blender and serve cold. If you prefer a more slushy effect, add crushed ice (if your blender can handle it). If your blender doesn't have a strong motor, thaw the strawberries before blending.

 

 

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

  1. Feel free to make even more chicken tonight for restocking your freezer. We do have several chicken dishes coming up over the next couple weeks so now may be a good time to make extra.

  2. If you do not have a grill: try baking the chicken in the oven at 350°F until juices run clear.

Menus 4 Moms recipe Lime Grilled Chicken
  • 1 cup lime juice
  • 2/3 cup Italian dressing
  • 2 tsp garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 3-4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken

Heat grill. Mix all ingredients except chicken in a mixing bowl. Place chicken in a large ziploc bag; pour half of the marinade over the chicken. Seal the bag and toss to coat. Marinade for at least 15 minutes. Save the remaining marinade for basting.

Drain and discard marinade from bag and grill chicken over medium-low heat for 35 - 45 minutes or until juices run clear, basting occasionally with the reserved marinade. Brush remaining marinade over chicken just before removing from grill.

 
 
 


Sugar Snap Peas

 

Menus 4 Moms recipe Jell-O Parfait

  • 1 sm. pkg. Jell-O (strawberry-banana)
  • 1 c. sour cream
  • 1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • Fresh strawberries* or other available berries
  • 2 Bananas, sliced

Mix the Jell-O packet with the sour cream. Add vanilla and mix well. Fold in Cool Whip. Layer fruit and Jell-O mixture in parfait glasses. Chill. Serve cold.

 

* Indicates that of the options listed, this item is the one on the grocery list.

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