Catzlover’s Cooking

Menu Plan Monday!

We all thoroughly enjoyed the soup and bread last week. A good thing, too, as this week we are back to summer temperatures and minimal cooking meals.

I have a lot of fresh basil right now, so I experimented with a Pesto bread. Sorry, no recipe, but if you are at all a bread baker you can probably use your own favorite bread recipe with the following add ins: lots of chopped fresh basil and olive oil in the bread. Top this right before baking with toasted pine nuts and chopped garlic and parmesan cheese. It went very well with bean soup and probably would be equally yummy with a nice tomato soup.

On the menu for this week:

Monday – Shepherd’s Pie
Tuesday – Tomato and Muenster Subs
Wednesday – Taco Casserole
Thursday – Breakfast For Dinner – Waffles
Friday – Leftovers or Pizza

My husband commented yesterday on how we seem to have just the right amount of leftovers for weekends (when I am renovating and not cooking). I was pleased to hear that I have achieved a good balance for cooking for three at last!

I was thoroughly enjoying The Happy Honest Atheist Homemaker blog for a while and I see that it has disappeared. If anyone out there knows the author, tell her to please come back!

What’s on your menu?

Sandra
P.S. If you come just to read the blog, I have a bunch of goodies on this web site. Vegetarian Recipes, Easy Picture Recipes for Kids (via my Bry-Back Manor site), and Super Sturdy Reusable Grocery Bags that I tie dye myself. Check it out!

Menu Plan Monday!

I am no longer a Quinoa virgin! The Quinoa last week was a big hit. I decided to leave it plainish but not completely unadorned so I could get the real taste. I tossed it some tomatoes and parmesan and it was quite satisfying.

I ended up with a lot of leftovers last week because my husband put in some long days so we are starting out the week with cleaning out the fridge. I also noticed a few things in the fridge that I should use and I have a handful of snow peas (And I do mean a HANDFUL) and some cucumbers from the rooftop garden that I want to use. So I am planning my menus around things I need to use this week.

The menu this week:

Monday – Veggie Ribs and Leftovers
Tuesday – Bean Soup and Bread
Wednesday – Caesar Wraps (Use that Lettuce!)
Thursday – Sesame Salad (Peas and Cucumbers!)
Friday – Leftovers or Pizza

I have been missing soup and some good home made bread. When I saw that the high temperature for tomorrow in our area is only going to be in the seveties, I couldn’t resist. Soup and bread! Hooray!

What’s on your menu?

Sandra
P.S. If you come just to read the blog, I have a bunch of goodies on this web site. Vegetarian Recipes, Easy Picture Recipes for Kids (via my Bry-Back Manor site), and Super Sturdy Reusable Grocery Bags that I tie dye myself. Check it out!

Menu Plan Monday!

Everything went according to plan last week EXCEPT the Beans and Weinies so it is on the Monday menu this week.

I have a shocking confession to make. I have been a vegetarian for 20 years and have never made Quinoa or even tasted Quinoa. When I was in a local Health Food store the other day, I decided it was high time to try this reputed super grain. There were a couple of interesting recipes on the box, but I am opting to make it plain – at least for the first time.

I see so many other menu planners out there in cyberspace who strive to be frugal or super couponers. Another confession I would like to make is that I am not a frugalista.

There was a time I was a serious penny pincher because I HAD to be. I gloried in the generic section of the SuperFresh (anyone else remember the plain black and white BEER cans?). I bought white bread, white rice, white macaroni because they were CHEAP!

Fast forward a number of years and I am grateful I don’t HAVE to be a penny pincher any longer. Now, don’t get me wrong. I still coupon on occasion and I look for sales and I use my grocery store cards. But, I buy the whole wheat goodies. I buy Olive Oil. I buy the Romaine lettuce, not the iceberg. And so on. We eat for flavor and we eat “good” food.

And since I am only cooking for 3 these days, if you subtract the dog food, cat litter, cat food, bird seed, sunflower seeds, and critter mix (!), my grocery budget is still not completely out of control. Hooray!

The menu this week:

Monday – Beans and Tofu Weinies
Tuesday – Tortellini and Pesto Tofu with Pesto
Wednesday – Veggie Ribs and Potato Salad
Thursday – Italian Sausage w/ Peppers and Quinoa
Friday – Leftovers or Pizza

What’s on your menu?

Sandra

P.S. If you come just to read the blog, I have a bunch of goodies on this web site. Vegetarian Recipes, Easy Picture Recipes for Kids (via my Bry-Back Manor site), and Super Sturdy Reusable Grocery Bags that I tie dye myself. Check it out!

Menu Plan Monday!

I thoroughly enjoyed my Eggplant Parmesan last week! My daughter even had some! In fact, I went a little wild and took part of the eggplant to make a small pan of Moussaka to freeze for another time. I will be posting my recipe for Vegetarian Moussaka on Thursday.

I have mentioned before that my husband and I are currently renovating an old Victorian house. We are in the thick of painting the exterior so my menus this week may be subject to change (Veggie Burger anyone?).

Monday – Great Big Salad w/ Chick’n Patties
Tuesday – Mac and Cheese with Beans from the Roof Garden
Wednesday – Curried Seitan
Thursday – Beans and Tofu Weinies
Friday – Leftovers or Pizza

What’s on your menu?

Sandra

P.S. If you come just to read the blog, I have a bunch of goodies on this web site. Vegetarian Recipes, Easy Picture Recipes for Kids (via my Bry-Back Manor site), and Super Sturdy Reusable Grocery Bags that I tie dye myself. Check it out!

Menu Plan Monday!

It is only August 2 and already it feels like the summer is winding down. My husband is starting to shift his focus to school related things (he’s a teacher) and my daughter only has one more week of day camp to go after this week. I miss the days when school started AFTER Labor Day!

Keilbasa turned into a big salad last week. Oh well.

This week I got inspired via Scrumptious to make some eggplant. My husband doesn’t care for eggplant so I don’t make it often, but I happen to love it.

So this week we’ll be eating:

Monday – Leftover Bean Salad and Corn on the Cob
Tuesday – Tomato and Harvarti Dill Subs
Wednesday – Eggplant Parmesan and Gnocchi
Thursday – Tofurky Keilbasa and Saurkraut w/ Peirogi
Friday – Leftovers or Pizza

What’s on your menu?

Sandra

P.S. If you come just to read the blog, I have a bunch of goodies on this web site. Vegetarian Recipes, Easy Picture Recipes for Kids (via my Bry-Back Manor site), and Super Sturdy Reusable Grocery Bags that I tie dye myself. Check it out!

Menu Plan Monday!

My menus went as planned last week until Thursday rolled around. Shepherd’s Pie became Panzanella and vichysoisse. I honestly can’t remember the last time I made vichysoisse and I can’t remember if I really used leeks in it before. But I followed the traditional recipe (using Harvest Direct “Chicken” Broth and milk instead of cream) and it was very good – especially with some fresh chives from the garden on top.  A little Summer comfort food!

This week I am feeling the need for a little more substance than green salad in the menus. Of course, all of these dinners are subject to change if I am overwhelmed by the heat of the day!

Monday – Veggie Ribs, Leftover Vichysoisse, Leftover Salads
Tuesday – Pasta with Alfredo Sauce (I like to add Quorn to this!)
Wednesday – Tofurky Keilbasa and Saurkraut
Thursday – Southwest Bean Salad (with a bag of dried beans I found in the pantry)
Friday – Leftovers or Pizza

What’s on your menu?

Sandra