April 3-April 9 Meal Plan
Liam has asked me, “What’s the plan, Stan?” since before we had kids. I assume it came from some childhood TV show or, perhaps, just a childhood trauma (jk). However, I thought I would share our supper plans. It’ll keep me accountable with meal planning. It might also spark a few ideas for y’all. Hopefully, a few of you will post your plans too!
I’ll post the previous week’s plan, along with what we actually ate. That way you get a realistic view. Our lives are a little chaotic, and I can’t always foresee the hijinks.
I also post who did the cooking. With work/school schedules, we all have ‘assigned’ cooking nights. Grace and I both love cooking. We’re comfortable and inventive when it comes to recipes. The boys are competent but want to expand and gain confidence. So, typically, Grace and I cook two nights a week each. Both boys have one assigned night. They also rotate trying a new recipe each week. For this meal, they have Grace or me as backup.
Liam does NOT cook! He helps tons around the house, but he hates cooking and we hate eating his food. So he gets a pass on this one. (However, he’s responsible for assorted cleaning tasks, bugs, and things that go bump in the night.
Let’s set Liam’s cooking aside, (Believe me, it’s for the best.), and get to the plan.:
- A-Anne
- J-Jonah
- S-Sam
- G-Grace
- L-Nope!
4/3 Sunday: J-quiche
Epic fail No. 2. Jonah tried this last week, but there were serious miscommunications. So, he decided to try again. He corrected the previous problems but didn’t precook the vegetables. This caused them to release all their water into the quiche. Liam and I were at work, but it was apparently so bad that Grace refused to send the leftovers with us the next day. Quiche will now go on Jonah’s list of meals to make while I’m home to offer ‘suggestions’.
3/28 Monday: S-Ranch Chicken.
Grace has voice/piano lessons and Jonah has a late class on Mondays. So, Sam cooked. Ranch chicken is a crockpot recipe that we’ve made for years. It involves chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, ranch powder, smoked paprika, and black olives. However, it really isn’t a blog-worthy recipe. It’s just easy and filling.
I was supposed to make Chicken Cacciatori, but Jonah had an appt with an oral surgeon that was unexpectedly moved to this day. After he and I had been on the road for an hour and a half, we ended up behind an accident that had the freeway shut down. We decided to be thankful we weren’t involved in the wreck, rescheduled the appt, and headed home. We then engaged in all kinds of spring cleaning. Yipee! So, the chicken was tabled and we went a quicker route.
I buy Hornados at Winco. They’re basically baked tostada shells. We make Instant Pot refried black beans and top them with garlicky kale, fried (or poached eggs), avocado, queso fresco (or cheddar), tomatoes, and salsa. They are tasty, relatively healthy, easy, and very filling. Oh, and did I mention easy?
3/30 Wednesday: A-Hornados.
This was supposed to be fish cakes. But, we had them last week due to a sudden need for something quick and easy. So, we knew they would be bumped this week. (I plan a month at a time.)
More spring cleaning. Eventually, we held a vote and decided we’d rather repeat the Hornados than mess up the kitchen. I keep boiled eggs in the fridge for snacks. We simply sliced a boiled egg, stuck it on an Hornado shell, and topped it with reheated kale and beans, and all the other goodies. The beans heated the egg and no pans were dirtied in the serving of this meal!
3/31 Thursday: A-Chicken Cacciatori by Erin at Wellplated.com
Jonah was supposed to make Red Beans and Cornbread with Mama as backup. However, we decided it was time the Chicken Cacciatori made an appearance. This was a new recipe for us. Though it was different from the version I usually make, we all really liked it. It was decided that we’ll keep my version, but add this one to our approved dinner options. The only change I made was to add 1/4 cup of kalamata olives.
4/1 Friday: Forage
This was supposed to be leftover Red Beans and Cornbread, but please see above. There wasn’t enough leftover cacciatore for everyone, so we’ll all pick and choose. I love that my people are old enough to self-cater!
4/2 Saturday: G-Shirred Eggs
This is a combination of an old recipe from Regency Era England and our family’s tweaks. I’ll work to get a recipe up in the next few weeks. It’s super easy. I just need to work out the cooking time. (I’m a see-if-it-jiggles kind of cook.).
We usually serve these with unsweetened waffles, but I like toast just as well. The menfolk demand bacon, but Grace and I limit them to two pieces each. The boys each want to lose a little weight, and Liam has a cardiac history.
Please share your meal plans or favorite dinners. We’re always on the hunt for tasty new ideas! Have a wonderful and tasty week, y’all!
