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Monday

• Lemon Pepper Grilled Fish
• Seasoned Green Beans
• Rice Pilaf

Tuesday

• Roast Pork Loin
• Baked Potatoes
• Creamed Peas

Wednesday

• Stuffed Shells
• Salad
• Italian Bread

Thursday

• Quick Pork Lo Mein
• Egg Drop Soup
• Mandarin Pineapple Salad

Friday

• Baked Potato Soup
• Crusty Bread
• Salad
• Apple Crumble

 

Monday Recipes

Notes for Monday:

1. Can you believe that Thanksgiving here in US is only about 2 1/2 weeks away! If you are following along with Marilyn Moll's article, 2008 Holiday Timetable Get a Jumpstart on Holiday Planning, then you know its time to decorate! Marilyn reminds us this week to "decorate your home for Thanksgiving and focus on gift buying for prepared list. Wrap and label packages as you go. Set aside needed shipping boxes." A great gift idea for a busy mom you know may be a gift subscription to our Busy Mom Menu. This month we have a printable recipe book bonus for all of our subscribers to print out and give as gifts. For more information, be sure to check out the Busy Mom's Menu.

   
   

Lemon Pepper Grilled Fish

• 2 lbs. bass, crappie, croaker, whiting (sea mullet), or flounder (or other flaky white fish)
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• generous sprinkling of lemon pepper seasoning (1 Tbsp)
• generous sprinkling of adobo seasoning or garlic salt (1 Tbsp)

Place fish in a shallow dish for marinating. Combine all other ingredients and pour over fish. Marinate 20 minutes. Grill over medium heat until flesh is white and flaky.

 

 

 Seasoned Green Beans

• 1 lb. fresh green beans, slightly steamed
• 2 T. butter
• 1/2 package Good Seasonings Italian dressing mix

Melt butter in large fry pan. Add green beans. Sprinkle with the 1/2 package of seasoning mix and stir well while sauteing.

 

Rice Pilaf

• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped (from freezer)
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2 green pepper chopped, seeded
• 1/2 red pepper chopped, seeded
• 1 cup of frozen peas, thawed
• 1 c. long grain rice (or brown rice* for healthier version)
• 2 c. chicken broth (if you are using brown rice add extra water)
• herbs of your choice (basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, etc.)

Thaw onion. Saute garlic and peppers in oil until tender. Add rice and brown until lightly browned. Mix the rest of the ingredients and add to pan. Cover and cook 20-25 minutes (longer - closer to 45 minutes - for brown rice).

 

 

Tuesday Recipes

Notes for Tuesday:

1. Save some of tonight's pork for Thursday's Quick Pork "Lo Mein".
   
   
2. Bake 4 extra potatoes tonight for our Baked Potato Soup on Friday.
   
   

 Roast Pork Loin

• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp marjoram
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1 (about 3-4 lbs.) boneless pork loin roast

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix together all seasonings; rub over pork. Place in a shallow roasting pan, preferably sitting up on a roasting rack. (If you do not have a roasting rack that fits in your pan, try rolling up pieces of aluminum foil and laying the rolls across the pan like a rack.) Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160° F. Let stand for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Baked Potatoes

• 8 baking potatoes (4 for tonight and 4 for Friday)
• butter
• sour cream
• any additional toppings your family may like

Spray potatoes with olive oil spray. Coat with coarsely ground salt and pepper. Poke several times with a fork and cook in microwave until centers are hot and tender (start with 6 minutes and go from there). Serve the 4 for tonight with butter, sour cream, and any other toppings your family enjoys. Let the 4 potatoes for Friday's Baked Potato Soup cool and then store in your refrigerator until Friday.

 

Creamed Peas

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Dash pepper
• 2 cups frozen peas (use a 10 oz box, or measure 2-cups from a bag of loose frozen peas)

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add flour and stir with a whisk for 1 minute. Do not brown the flour and butter mixture. Continue stirring constantly and add the milk gradually. Add salt, pepper, and sugar. Heat to a simmer and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add peas and heat to a simmer. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until peas are tender-crisp. Do not overcook.

 

 

Wednesday Recipes

Notes for Wednesday:

1. Last week we made a large batch of Marinara Sauce. Tonight we are going to put our freezer stock to work for us to save on time. If you did not make the sauce last week, be sure to add a jar of spaghetti sauce to your grocery list.
   
   
2. Make a large salad for tonight and save half for Friday. Add any crunchy ingredients right before serving each night.
   
   

 Stuffed Shells

• 1/2 box of jumbo shells or manicotti
• Marinara sauce (from freezer)
• 3 c. Ricotta cheese (easy to make from milk if you are interested)
• 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp Parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 16 oz. Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Cook shells according to package directions. Mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg,salt, and pepper. Stuff shells or manicotti with cheese mixture and place in a 13" x 9" baking dish coated with non-stick spray. Spoon marinara sauce over each shell and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350°.

 

Salad

 

 

Italian Bread

 

 

Thursday Recipes

Notes for Thursday:

1. Use leftover pork from Tuesday to make this a super speedy meal.
   
   
   

   Quick Pork "Lo Mein"

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb. cooked pork roast, cubed (from Tuesday)
• 2-3 (3 oz.) pkg. pork flavored Ramen Noodles
• 1 1/2 cups water (may need more water if you use 3 pkg. of noodles)
• 1 red* or yellow pepper, cut into strips
• 2 cups broccoli florets* or cauliflower, thawed
• 3 med. green onions, chopped
• 2 tsp parsley
• 1 1/4 tbsp soy sauce

Heat oil in skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add pork and stir fry until reheated, about 2 minutes. Break apart Ramen Noodles and add to skillet with water, seasoning packet and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally until noodles are soft.

 

 

Egg Drop Soup

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 green onion with part of green top, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• dash of pepper
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• frozen wanton sheets (optional)

Heat chicken broth, salt and pepper to boiling in saucepan. Stir green onions into eggs. Pour egg mixture slowly into boiling broth, stirring constantly with fork to form shreds of egg.

If you want to add fried wantons to your soup, you can buy frozen wanton sheets (wrappers - not on the grocery list), thaw them and slice them into strips. Deep fry the strips and serve on top of soup.

Mandarin Pineapple Salad

• 1 15 oz. can Mandarin Oranges
• 1 20 oz. can Pineapple Tidbits

Drain fruit in both cans and gently toss together. Serve.

 

 

Friday Recipes

Notes for Friday:

1. Both the soup and the Apple Crumble recipes came from our friends Chris and Lucy Baldwin years ago and have been family favorites ever since. If you don't like your potato soup thick, you can always add extra milk. This would also be a great recipe to double for weekend leftovers.
   
   
2. If you did not bake extra potatoes on Tuesday, be sure to allow extra time tonight to cook and cool 4 potatoes.
   
   
   
   

 Baked Potato Soup

• 4 large baking potatoes, baked and cooled (from Tuesday)
• 2/3 cup butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups milk
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 green onions, chopped and divided
• 12 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled, and divided
• 1 1/4 cups (5 oz.) cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
• 1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, scoop out pulp and set aside. Discard skins. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thick and bubbly. (This will take some time.)

Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, 2 tbsp green onions, 1/2 cup bacon, and 1 cup cheese. Cook until cheese is melted and soup is heated through. Stir in sour cream. Serve with remaining green onions, bacon and cheese as a garnish.

Crusty Bread

 

Leftover Salad

 

Apple Crumble

• 1 cup baking mix (I use Bisquick)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1 can pie-sliced apples, drained or 2 cups sliced apple*
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Grease the bottom and sides of an 8x8 or 6x10 inch baking dish. Blend first three ingredients in a bowl. Cut margarine into bits and add to mix. Spread 1/3 of oat mixture in bottom of pan. Place apple slices over mixture. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture and cinnamon. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350°F. Serve warm with ice cream.

 

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

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