Menu Monday

Bravo to all you working mamas who still get dinner on the table!

Last month I began working "away from home" and I've found meal planning and prep to be much harder than when I was working at home. I finally feel that I've adjusted to my new roles and am happy to say that I've started this week with a menu plan and all the prep that can be done in advance has been done!

Dinner with my family is a priority - even if it means we gobble down everything in 10 minutes so that we can get out the door for an evening activity. We are a family that eats together and planning/prepping helps eliminate stress (because dinner isn't so enjoyable when mama's stressed. not that I would  know....)

PHOTO CREDIT

MONDAY: Vegetable Pot Pie

Frozen Pie Crusts (package of 2)
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
1 cup of cream (milk would work too)
1/2 cup of water.......or less - thin gravy if needed ( broth can also be used)\
1 package of frozen mixed vegetables

Make roux from butter and flour.
Add milk/cream, whisking constant/often. Add water if it gets too thick.
Add vegetables and cook 5-10 minutes
Pour into pie shell
Cover with other pie shell. Cut a couple "breathing" slits into top pie crust
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes.

TUESDAY: Slow Cooker Enchilada

WEDNESDAY: SOUP NIGHT! Wild Rice and Vegetable Soup

Just throw stuff in! Seriously.

Mirepoix (I'm using about 2 cups of chopped parsnips, carrots, celery and onions sauteed in 2 T. butter) after sauteing for 20 minutes or so I'll add 2 cups of water to create a broth.

Wild Rice

*I happen to have about one cup of vegetable pot pie filling that didn't fit in my pie tonight and one cup of homemade cream of mushroom soup in the freezer (leftovers from last week's soup night) so I'll add those in to add a slight "creamy" to my soup.

THURSDAY: STIR FRY  

Stir fry is a good stand by in this house and I'm afraid that, like most my cooking, there is no recipe in which I follow but it goes something like this........

Combination of vegetables  - this varies to what I have in the fridge. this week it's red and yellow peppers, broccoli, carrots and cauliflower. Other good stir fry options are mushrooms, scallions, bok choy, cabbage, celery....any vegetable I guess. Except beets. and potatoes....those just sound weird in stir fry.

I always start with the "hardest" vegetables so that the soft veggies don't get too soggy so......

In a large saute/wok style pan heat 1-2 T. Sesame Oil, 1 T. fresh diced ginger root and add in this order:

• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Peppers

While veggies are stir-fryin', bring 3 cups of water to boil for rice. Once boiling, add 1 1/2 c. rice (I use a combination of long grain white rice and long grain brown -- the white rice  to appease my family, the brown to make it a little healthier) Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

In a pint size glass canning jar add 1 T. cornstarch, 1/4 cup liquid aminos (or soy sauce) and 1/2 cup water --- put a lid on the jar and shake! Dump into vegetable pan

*If sauce gets too thick add a little more water. If too runny shake up some more cornstarch/aminos/water. Don't add cornstarch alone to pan of veggies or you will have icky lumps!

FRIDAY: MYSTERY

Oh, who knows....sometimes we do "FEND FOR YOURSELVES", sometimes we do pizza, or sometimes I take all (some) of our leftovers and make a totally and creative meal (this is really fun!).