One of the things we strive for when planning our menus is making everything fit together into one nice, neat little package. We look to use ingredients in different ways throughout the week so that we’re benefiting from the ability of do-aheads and being able to buy in bulk. We also benefit from a well-stocked pantry.
I’m hearing reports of snow days all over the place. No snow days here, but we have snow falling four or five out of the seven days this week, just nothing too exciting. Usually it’s the negative temperature that makes the news in January. Still, when it’s cold and snowy, there’s nothing more perfect than ending the day with a warm meal. It doesn’t hurt if the day also included pummeling your older sister with snowballs.
Monday – Citrus and Rosemary Roast Chicken
Tuesday – Roasted Ginger-Orange Carrot Soup with No Fuss Focaccia
Wednesday – White Chicken Chili
Thursday – Chicken and Rice Casserole
Friday – Spinach and Cheese Strata
The Preparation Shortcuts:
1. Keep the house nice and warm by roasting a chicken on Monday, and then toss the carcass into a stockpot for some homemade stock that will work in Wednesday and ____’s meals.
2. Use oranges in both Monday and Tuesday’s meal, rosemary for both the chicken and the focaccia.
3. Make two chickens on Monday. The second can be picked and stored for the chicken and rice casserole on Thursday. Extra stock from the chickens can be frozen in ice cube trays and tossed in the freezer for storage.
4. Focaccia from Tuesday can be left out to dry for the strata on Friday.
The Shopping List:
2 roaster chickens
1 bunch celery
1 bulb ginger
10 ounces frozen spinach
4 oranges
2 pounds carrots
1 lemon
1 bunch rosemary
6 ounces Gruyère
2 ounces Parmesan
Pantry Items:
onions
butter
eggs
milk
flour
yeast
olive oil
rice
slivered almonds
cream of mushroom soup (or make your own)
mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
nutmeg
onion powder
curry powder
salt and pepperLast week from Food for My Family:
Steak Chili
On Lifetime Moms:
Ditch the Donuts or Don’t: A Clean Start for a New Year
On Babble:
Spicy Southwest Chicken Soup
Starbucks Gets a New Logo
Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches for Elvis’ Birthday
Shaina, I love how you’ve broken this down. I should do more posts like this. But that would require planning ahead. Shoot, I gotta get back to doing that.
I’m just gonna move in with you…I mean what’s one more person, right? AND I’ll do dishes.
I really apprectiae free, succinct, reliable data like this.
You are so organized! I love how you incorporate leftover ingredients into different meals.
Great list as always!
looks fabulous! Love your snow day pictures. I live in Alabama and we got our first snow day yesterday. My kids had a blast
Great way to get organized!
The was so helpful. Love that you laid everything out including a shopping list!
You had me at Gruyere – and those beautiful pics of your kids in the snow! xo
Tuesday and Frieday are my favourite nights – but, someone family is getting a whole lotta love. The chili sounds tasty, too!
Well… OK – they all sound yummy.
🙂
valerie