I’m not going to list our breakfast and lunches anymore, as they usually consist of the same things. Our menu starts on Saturday. I’m still in easy meal mode. But I’m going to have to do a freezer cooking session soon, as we are running out of meal preps. When I sent a kid shopping in the deep freeze, he said we are out of roasts, have 2 steaks left and about 10 2 lb packs of hamburger left.

The last couple of years, we have bought a half a cow with our tax refund. Looks like we’re going to run out of beef before we get our tax refund back. Guess I’ll have to start watching the sales for beef.

Saturday – pizza

Sunday – pasta with meat sauce, broccoli

Monday – Cheeseburger Macaroni, green beans

Tuesday – Crockpot Chicken Soup, with broth and chicken from the freezer

Wednesday – Stir Fry

Thursday – Thanksgiving Dinner at the in-laws

Friday – Steak, baked potatoes, beets

For more Menu Plan Monday ideas, visit I’m an Organized Junkie.

I like to do a lot of baking at once, instead of just one thing at a time. I have found that keeping the measuring cups for reuse is a big time saver.

I keep all the sizes that I need lined up on the counter, dry and wet. I also do the same with measuring spoons. I just make sure to keep track of the wet ones, and the dry ones. Not having to wash them in between recipes sure saves a lot of time.

Another big time saver? When making different kinds of cookie dough, use the bowl and beaters without washing.

For example, if I’m making sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate cookies, I mix them in that order. No need to wash in between.

I can knock several minutes off the total time by reusing the measuring cups, spoons, mixing bowl and beaters.

For more kitchen tips, visit Tammy’s Recipes.

Okay, another easy week of meals. I am starting to feel better, but don’t want to take on too much. I feel guilty if I start a big meal, or other cook from scratch item, then start feeling bad and have to have the kids finish it. Yeah, I know I shouldn’t as they eat the food, too. But I still feel quilty.

We didn’t have all the meals from last weeks menu, as we were given a very large boston butt. So we will have those this week.

Dinners

Saturday – left overs 🙂

Sunday – left overs 🙂 the pork, along with broccoli cheese rice in the crockpot. I put in a package of rice from the freezer, frozen broccoli, when that was done, I added several slices of Velvetta cheese that had been given to us. Super easy. Everyone loved it! I should have made more.

Monday – Beans and rice with hamburger, with beans from the freezer, and green beans

Tuesday – Chicken a la Mama over pasta, chicken from freezer

Wednesday – Baked chicken, stuffing, green beans

Thursday – steak, fried potatoes, corn, beets

Friday – spaghetti with meat sauce, broccoli

BREAKFASTS
Pop tarts (given to us), oatmeal, cereal, toast, eggs, and fruit – fresh and home canned

LUNCHES
The usual – left overs, sandwiches, mac and cheese, soup and grilled cheese, ramen noodles with veggies and meat added, (kids love these noodles, I let them have them every once in a while, but add stuff 🙂 Frozen peas and corn added to the hot noodles help to cool them off so the kids can eat faster)

For more Menu Plan Monday ideas, visit I’m an Organizing Junkie

This weeks menu is using a lot of food from the freezer. The rest are easy to prepare meals. All will be done with the help of the kids, since I”m still not feeling well.

Saturday – stir fry with chicken, rice & veggies from the freezer
Sunday – dinner at church, sandwiches for supper
Monday – meatloaf, baked potatoes, corn, greenbeans
Tuesday – BBQ chicken, rice from freezer, broccoli
Wednesday – Kielbasa & onions, mashed potatoes, green beans
Thursday – rice and beans with hamburger
Friday – baked chicken, stuffing, veggies

Breakfasts
Our choices are:
cereal
toast
eggs
oatmeal
french toast from the freezer
pancakes (if I get to make them)
fruit, fresh and home-canned

Lunches
Our choices are:
mac and cheese
ham or turkey sandwiches with chips
soup and grilled cheese sandwiches
leftovers – We usually have leftovers 1 or twice a week
fruits and veggies

Snacks
homemade cookies
popcorn
fruit, fresh and home-canned
cheese and crackers

For more Menu Plan Monday visit I’m an Organized Junkie.

I’m going to participate in Money Saving Mom’s and Life as Mom’s Baking and Freezer Cooking Day today and tomorrow. I did this twice last month, once for baking and once for meal prep and got a lot accomplished, and had fun. They are live blogging, tweeting, and writing on Facebook about their progress. So I’m going to join in. I’m still not feeling 100% so I can use the extra motivation.

Here’s my 2 day list, not a lot, but it will be a big help to have all this to add to the freezer.

The List
pancakes
banana bread
chocolate cookies
chocolate chip cookies

kidney beans
great northern beans
pinto beans

cooked hamburger
taco meat
diced chicken
chicken broth

UPDATE

Well, I didn’t do very well today. I got 5 dozen chocolate chip cookies in the freezer. I wasn’t feeling well, so I had to quit. Hannah made the chocolate cookies. We put 8 dozen in the freezer.

I will be doing my best to get more done tomorrow. I’m not going to put the beans on to soak. Just in case I’m not well enough to cook them tomorrow. If I am, I will try the quick soak method.

I used to write down a menu all the time, but I had gotten away from writing it down. Instead, I kept it in my head. I think I like writing it down better. 🙂 I managed to stick to last weeks menu. I think the family liked having the menu hanging on the fridge, too.

On the menu this week:

Saturday – broiled steak, fried potatoes, green beans
Sunday – Pizza, carrots
Monday – Chicken and dumplings, carrots, using a recipe from my aunt
Tuesday -meatloaf, baked potatoes, corn and broccoli
Wednesday -crock pot chicken soup with homemade rolls or biscuits
Thursday – pasta with meat sauce, green beans
Friday – Roast in the crock pot with potatoes, onions and carrots

Breakfasts
We can choose from:
cereal
muffins
french toast
fruit, fresh and home canned

Lunches
We can choose from:
soup and grilled cheese sandwiches
mac and cheese
sandwiches
leftovers
fruits and veggies

For more menu ideas visit Menu Plan Monday over at I’m an Organizing Junkie.

I love creamed onions! I remember having these at family Thanksgiving dinners when I was growing up in Massachusetts. My mothers cousin made them with big onions, one in a bowl per person, with white sauce poured over. I like making them with the small pearl onions.

You can buy onions in a jar in the canned food aisle. Just make sure to get plain onions, and NOT the pickled onions! You can also buy the small pearl onions in the produce section, and peel and cook them.

You make a basic white sauce.

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup of milk

Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, then add the milk all at once. Stir until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I also like to put in just a pinch of nutmeg.

Stir in your cooked onions, and they are ready to serve.

You can adjust the amount of white sauce, just use equal amounts of everything. For instance, if you need 3 cups of white sauce, you would use 3 tablespoons of butter and flour, and 3 cups of milk.

Since most of us here like onions, when I make this, I make at least 5 or 6 small onions for each person.

And extra white sauce can be reheated and used on vegetables and pasta. yum!

I’m sorry I don’t have any pictures of this. I wanted to make them this week, but my husband did the grocery shopping for me as I’m feeling sick. He couldn’t find any canned onions or fresh onions in the produce section. Oh well, Thanksgiving is coming up, I’ll get some then.

For more recipe ideas, visit Tammy’s Recipes, and The Ultimate Recipe Swap