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Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

 

Monday Recipes

Notes for Monday:

  1. Tonight we will be making use of our planned leftovers from last Friday's Sloppy Joes. If you did not make extra Sloppy Joes last week, you will want to make your Sloppy Joes ahead of time. See the recipe here. Make sure to add the ingredients to your shopping list. Another option if you did not make Sloppy Joes last week is to substitute your favorite pizza recipe for the Sloppy Joes Pizza.

  2. Don't forget about your holiday planning. If you have not yet seen the article on the Menus4Moms.com homepage that I've mentioned the last two weeks, be sure to check out 2008 Holiday Timetable: Get a Jumpstart on Holiday Planning by Marilyn Moll of The Urban Homemaker. This week is "Gift Making Week". Marilyn encourages you to "focus your energies on completing gifts to be made, setting aside gifts that aren't coming together, and writing a Christmas letter. Find family photos suitable for inclusion with Christmas cards." To jump start your holiday gift giving, I have included a Halloween Treat Bag Topper as the bonus in this weeks Busy Moms Menu. If you are interested in this bonus and the many others planned for the upcoming holiday season, check out the subscription information on this premium menu at the Menus4Moms website.

  3. Use your favorite bread machine pizza dough recipe and set your bread machine so that the dough will be ready when you want to start dinner. Bake the dough so that it is almost done but not all the way.

  4. Make a large salad tonight and save half for Wednesday night. Add croutons, bacon bits, sunflower seeds, and any other "crunchies" just before serving each night.




Menus 4 Moms recipe Sloppy Joe Pizza

In a skillet, combine Sloppy Joe sauce, corn, and green onions. Heat through. Spread mixture on top of baked pizza crust and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 425°F for 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.


Menus 4 Moms recipe Salad

Your choice. Try a different type of greens for a change. Baby spinach is excellent. Leaf lettuces are more nutritious than iceberg lettuce. Adding sunflower seeds and grated carrots is a good way to sneak in nutrients.

 
 
 
 
Vanilla Yogurt with Apples and Grapes


 

 

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

  1. Tonight we are taking advantage of our freezer stock that we have been working on. Use diced leftover ham and cooked cubed chicken from the freezer. If you do not have any ham remaining in your freezer from a few weeks ago, and if you did not restock your freezer with chicken from last week, be sure to add more of the items you need to your grocery list. You may want to add more meat than what you will need for tonight and do some freezer restocking on your own.

  2. Prepare the Jello Parfait in the morning.


 Menus 4 Moms recipe  Shortcut Chicken Cordon Blue

In a medium skillet over medium heat add soup, water, wine, cheese and ham. Heat to a boil, stirring often. Add cooked chicken to pan. Reduce heat to lo, cover and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

 

Sauteed Green Beans


Menus 4 Moms recipe Orange Jell-O Parfait

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.

 


 

 

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

  1. Today we are going to make a large pot of spaghetti sauce. Although I like meat sauce, this time we are going to make marinara because we will be using some in planned leftovers for next week. Start your marinara sauce late in the morning in your slow cooker and let it simmer all afternoon. After preparing your sauce, cool it and freeze all but what is needed for the spaghetti in 2-cup portions in dated freezer bags for later use. You may want to leave one portion in your refrigerator for use on mini pizzas at lunch time. My youngest son and I have been enjoying mini pizzas on english muffins for lunch lately.

  2. Two weeks ago we restocked our freezer with browned ground beef. Tonight we are going to add prepared meatballs to our freezer stock for future use. You will see 5 lbs. of ground beef on your shopping list for this purpose along with the remaining ingredients. If you don't want to make your own meatballs, you can omit the ground beef and the rest of the meatball ingredients on your shopping list and just add premade frozen meatballs to your list. Follow the meatball recipe, leaving out one portion for tonight, and freezing the remaining 4 portions.


Menus 4 Moms recipe Marinara Sauce

Combine all ingredients and simmer in a slow cooker for 4-5 hours on low.

 

 

Menus 4 Moms recipe Meatballs

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl by using your hands. (Yes, it's easiest to just get messy and mix away!) If your mixture is a little too dry add a little more steak sauce or worcestershire sauce. If your mixture is a little too moist, add a little more bread crumbs. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place on foil lined baking sheets (the kind with sides!) and bake at 350°F for about 20-30 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs. Allow to cool. Divide into 5 portions: 1 for tonight and 4 in labeled, freezer safe containers.

 

 

Menus 4 Moms recipe Spaghetti with Meatballs

Boil your spaghetti according to package directions. Heat sauce and meatballs. Serve sauce with meatballs on spaghetti and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

 

Leftover Salad

 

Italian bread

 

 


 
 

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

  1. There has been a lot of prep work this week with the goal of stocking up your freezer. Tonight's meal is another great opportunity to do just that! Double or even triple the recipe for the pancakes if you have time and make extra for quick, nutritious breakfasts.

  2. You can make your eggs to order however your family likes them best. If you are making scrambled eggs, I've included a quick recipe. You could also add chopped chives or cheese to your scrambled eggs for more flavor.

  3. If you prefer an overnight soak for beans, start your dried bean preparation for tomorrow night's soup now.


 Menus 4 Moms recipe Pancakes

Blend wet ingredients in a measuring cup. In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until blended. Do not overbeat. Cook over medium heat until bubbles on unbaked side begin to break; turn once and cook on second side until golden.

 
Menus 4 Moms recipe Scrambled Eggs

In small bowl, mix together eggs, milk and salt. Heat butter in frying pan. Add egg mixture to frying pan and as the eggs start to set, begin to stir and flip until all eggs are cooked.



Sausage
 
 

Cantaloupe


 

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

  1. If you prefer an overnight soak, start your dried bean preparation the night before.

  2. Tonight's dessert is a great opportunity to get your kid's in the kitchen! My kids have been helping with this recipe since they were as young as 2 years old! The younger ones like to hit my food chopper to chop the apples and to stir up the apple mixture. The older ones like to roll out the biscuits. Sometimes we make a mess but they feel such a since of accomplishment when they can say they "made it all by myself!" Just put on your apron of patience and get out the camera! My kids each have their own apron and chef hat to make cooking "real".


Menus 4 Moms recipe 15 Bean Soup

Rinse beans in a colander and check to be sure there are no stones or other debris. Place beans in a dutch oven and cover with water so that the water is twice as deep as the beans. Heat to boiling and boil for 2 minutes. Turn heat off and cover, let sit for 1 hour. Drain beans in colander and rinse pot. Place beans in slow cooker and cover with water, making sure the water is twice as deep as the beans. Drain tomatoes and add tomatoes and seasoning to beans. If using meat (ham is preferable), add now. Cook on Hi for 5 hours or Low for 8-10 hours. Serve on cooked brown rice if desired.

 

 

 Crusty Bread
 


Menus 4 Moms recipe Apple Turnovers (Great for Kids in the Kitchen!)

Heat oven to 400°F. Combine apple, applesauce, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon in a bowl. Separate biscuits and roll out each into a 6-inch circle. Place biscuits onto greased baking sheet. Place a heaping teaspoonful of apple mixture in the center of each biscuit. Fold biscuit in half and pinch the edges to seal. Brush tops of each biscuit with melted butter. Combine sugar and the rest of the cinnamon; sprinkle over the tops. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

 

 

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

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