Why don't YOU plan this week's meals for me? - You did it! Thanks! (Menu added)

[4LovesMom]

Every week it is a drudgery to plan meals. I lament over what to try. Well, this week, how about YOU decide??? Please???

Sunday- leftover lentil stew :laughtears (read my other thread) - fishsticks for the kids

Monday- Deep dish chicken pot pie - from the casseroles & crockpot thread

Tuesday- Tex-Mex Soup - from the same thread

Wednesday- pasta salad with sundried tomatoes (from Mama Kristin) :tu - I know you said you'll be making it off the cuff, but other than the pasta and the sundried tomatoes - any tips? I picture putting in some turkey sausage or something :think

Thursday- chicken enchiladas! I've always wanted to try these, now you've inspired me, Valentine!!! And I know I have some recipes. If you have any tips you'd like to toss my way, I'll take 'em.

Friday- pizza and salad, from AmyDoll. And I'm going to make a really good salad, not just out of the bag like I usually do. Maybe I'll make it extra-large and keep some for the next couple days. Lots of yummy choices on your menu, but that one sounded good for a Friday night! I especially like "Eat at Mom's" and wish this was an option for us.

Saturday- from joyful mama's Saturday choice - fajitas! (dh LOVES them, I rarely think to make them and we happen to have leftover steak from my in-laws' visit) BOY this thread was a good idea for me!

Sunday- BBQ chicken sandwiches with corn on the cob - from Mama Piadosa's menu. I've made them that way before and dh and I love them, but the kids aren't too wild about them - I'm going to try again anyway and hope for the best. They DO love corn on the cob, so serving this alongside the sandwiches will help.

YOU decide!!! I wish I could offer some fabulous incentive! How about I promise to try it and I'll post my review and accolades! We have no dietary restrictions. The only thing I don't like is beets. Hurry! I want to grocery shop Tuesday the 18th. Just tell me the main dish & a recipe if you have it. :popcorn

ETA: MamaKristin and Valentine's input so far!!! Thanks! Now I still need Friday, Saturday and Sunday! This is great! Way to get me excited about the week's cooking. :highfive

ETA: The rest of the week's menu from each person's post. Thank you so much!!! Honestly, I thought someone would just pick a day and choose my meal - and I would have held up my end of the bargain by trying it or a variation. But having a whole menu to choose from made it interesting and more to my discretion! :tu (Still had to think a little, though :shifty).
Can't wait to go grocery shopping!
This was fun!

[mamaKristin]

I *so* understand the drudgery. :yes My DH does not get why I :rolleyes every time I ask for suggestions and he just says that everything I make is good.

Tell you what, I will tell you what we are having this week to see if it inspires you...or makes you gag. Although I can promise there are NO beets in anything, we dont like them either. :giggle

Tonight ~ bbq greek ribs, rice and greek salad. First time making this though, so I can let you know how it turns out!
Mon, I am out and DH is home with the older 2. I bought them a frozen pizza, DH is not much of a cook at the best of times
Tues ~crockpot bean meal. :giggle But with canned beans, so no worries about them being too hard.
Wed ~ pasta salad with chicken and sundried tomatoes. I think. It is going to be an off the cuff thing
Thurs ~ spinach lasagna
Fri ~ taco bake. ground beef with taco seasoning, mixed with black beans and some salsa, layered with tortillas, throw some cheese on top and bake until golden. My kids just go crazy for this.
Sat ~ chicken and sweet potatoe fries. I think I will make my low fat chicken parmesan strips.


that is our week. I will serve salad and sliced raw veggies with most meals too. Generally we do yogurt or fruit for dessert too, except Fridays, then we have ice cream. Hope that helps!

[~yogamom~]

here's what we're having so far this week if that helps:

chicken enchiladas (2 nights)
chicken tacos (I made some chicken stock with a whole chicken and need to use it all)
3-bean and hamburger chili from the crockpot and cornbread (2 nights)
barbequed thighs and drumsticks
ground beef and veggie lasagna (2 nights)

we have a lot of chicken and ground beef, cuz it's cheap! ;)

[AmyDoll]

Our Dinners this Week:
Sunday - Eat at Moms
Monday - Shrimp Stir-Fry
Tuesday - Raspberry Chicken Thighs (Crock-pot)
Wednesday - Shrimp & Brocolli Rotini
Thursday - Tacos
Friday - Pizza & salad
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Eat at Mom's
Monday - Teryaki pork chops
Tuesday - chicken sandwiches
Wednesday - Spinach lasagna
Thursday - Crockpot Enchiladas
Friday - Pizza & Salad
Saturday - leftovers
Sunday - Eat at Mom's


One thing I've read that helps some people is to have *theme* nights. Like always have Asian on Monday, Chicken on Tuesday, Pasta on Wednesday, Mexican on Thursday, and Pizza on Friday

[joyful mama]

sigh... but what about when dh is really picky? :hissyfit He won't eat Aisian, Mexican, Indian, Mediteranean most fish, only certain cuts of meats (like any 'loins' or bone-in :rolleyes :(. I think i saw maybe one meal listed dh will eat... pizza :(. i have got to get more creative!

Sun: sauteed chicken, peas, pasta

Mon: turky burgers, salad

Tues: Chicken stuffed w/broccoli and cheese (cheese and apples for dh) (I fold over chicken tenders and put apples and cubed cheddar, its yummy)

Wed: leftovers from previous nights

Thurs: ?dh not home, probably eggs or something. Maybe out w/a friend to the local Mexican restaraunt

Fri: baked tilapia, veggies, potatoes or cous cous

Sat: ? I'm thinkin maybe tacos or fajitas... if I season them very lightly dh will eat them

Other ideas I do that are simple that dh will eat: Tacos (chicken or ground turkey, sometimes beef), lean cut (very thin) pork chops with apples, boboli pizza with homemade sauce, meatballs (turkey) with whole grain pasta, barbecue chicken, ranch chicken, lemon-pepper chicken, garlic herb seasoned baked chicken w/tomatoes and cheese

[erinee]

Jen, my dh is the same way. It's hard for me, because I like just about everything and love to try new things, both as a cook and as a diner, and it's very, very difficult to keep meals interesting for me. Lately it's pretty much been tacos, sloppy joes, spaghetti, pork chops, cooked spinach (he'll eat it raw in salad, but that's it, and there's no "hiding" it in anything, either), pizza, hamburgers, bratwurst, lasagna, and chicken baked with some kind of marinade. He'll eat apples, but not cooked with anything. He won't eat most other fruits. He'll eat beef stew or pot roast, but only the meat and potatoes. He'll eat salad, but pretty much just lettuce and cheese. He will not touch beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, brocolli, carrots, peas, and the list goes on and on. My best bet is to keep things very simple and not mix a lot of ingredients, except for maybe the lasagna and 2 or 3 casseroles I've found that he'll eat (they have no veggies in them). I get so very, very bored with our meals because I like a lot of variety and it would make cooking more fun to try new things, but everyone else seems happy, so I just live with it.

No advice, just commiserating! It's been a huge frustration for me in our 15 years of marriage!

[hsgbdmama]

I need inspiration again too. :O But dh and ds1 are picky eaters, and it is frustrating to go through a lot of work to try something new only to get "it tastes goofy," "it tastes funny," "blech" and so on, so I stick with the same standards as already mentioned. :yawn

:/

[Dana Joy]

Here is our menu for next week:
Monday: BBQ Chicken sandwiches- cut up chicken breasts and place in crockpot in morning covered in bbq sauce- cook on low all day. Serve that night on whole wheat buns with corn on th ecob!
Tues: Pasta
Weds: Stew in the crockpot. Stew beef from the grocery store, gravy, frozen carrots and peas and water in crock pot in morning- cook on low all day- 45 minutes before serving add cut up potatoes and turn to high. Served with homemade bread.
Thurs: Whole wheat pizza:
1 1/2 Cups - Warm Water (110° - 115° F)
2 Tbsp. - Sugar
1 Envelop - Active Dry Yeast
1 1/2 Tsp. - Salt
2 Tbsp. - Olive Oil
2 Cups - Bread Flour
2 Cup - Whole Wheat Flour
Put in bread machine (if you don't have one and want better directions let me know).
Roll out and put sauce cheese and toppings on it.
Bake at 450 10 to 15 minutes

That's it so far- I go shopping on Fri!

[Katiebug]

Our week, keep in mind we don't eat meat, just fish ;)

Sunday:
Whole-wheat Rotini w/ jarred Whole Foods sauce (and crumbled goat feta for me)
Green salad w/ balsamic dressing
Steamed carrots and peas for the kids

Monday
Grilled salmon fillets cooked wrapped in foil w/ lemon, onion, salt and pepper
Brown rice
Warm green bean salad (steamed green beans, red peppers, red onion and slivered almonds, tossed w/ olive oil and served warm)

Tuesday
Quesidillas-Whole wheat tortillas, part-skim mozarella, black beans, corn, fresh salsa
Spinach salad
Steamed veggies of some sort for the kids

Wednesday
Shrimp, snow peas, baby corn and cashews stir-fried w/ soy sauce and other stuff over brown rice

Thursday
Garden burgers on whole grain buns
Yam fries
Cesar salad w/ homemade whole wheat garlic croutons

Friday
Omelets w/ cheese, green onion, bell peppers
Toasted sprouted wheat bread
Fresh fruit salad

Saturday
DH has to cook or take us out. ;)

[Dana Joy]

One thing I've read that helps some people is to have *theme* nights. Like always have Asian on Monday, Chicken on Tuesday, Pasta on Wednesday, Mexican on Thursday, and Pizza on Friday

You know that really has helped me alot
Monday Crockpot
Tues: Some sort of pasta
weds- crockpot again
Thurs- Always Pizza i just change up what kind- frozen fom whole foods, on muffins, on homemade crust
Fri- Mexican
Sat- leftovers
Sun- is the night my 14 year old cooks so it varies

[joyful mama]

Jen, my dh is the same way. It's hard for me, because I like just about everything and love to try new things, both as a cook and as a diner, and it's very, very difficult to keep meals interesting for me. Lately it's pretty much been tacos, sloppy joes, spaghetti, pork chops, cooked spinach (he'll eat it raw in salad, but that's it, and there's no "hiding" it in anything, either), pizza, hamburgers, bratwurst, lasagna, and chicken baked with some kind of marinade. He'll eat apples, but not cooked with anything. He won't eat most other fruits. He'll eat beef stew or pot roast, but only the meat and potatoes. He'll eat salad, but pretty much just lettuce and cheese. He will not touch beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, brocolli, carrots, peas, and the list goes on and on. My best bet is to keep things very simple and not mix a lot of ingredients, except for maybe the lasagna and 2 or 3 casseroles I've found that he'll eat (they have no veggies in them). I get so very, very bored with our meals because I like a lot of variety and it would make cooking more fun to try new things, but everyone else seems happy, so I just live with it.

No advice, just commiserating! It's been a huge frustration for me in our 15 years of marriage!
:hug It is tough isnt it? I get sooo bored with our meals too and I try something new and I love it, and he'll be like, 'oh, it was ok i guess' :/. He'll eat carrots, green beans, and peas every day, and cucumbers in salad... and that's about it on veggies. oh, and corn. but i don't count that as a veggie ;)

Katiebug- I am absolutely drooooling over your menu. but, like i mentioned above, there is very little on your menu dh will eat. omgoodness it sounds sooo yummy. I'm going to have to make myself a quesidalla this week. oh man do i EVER love Mexican :yum.

[Kailie]

Tonight ~ bbq greek ribs, rice and greek salad. First time making this though, so I can let you know how it turns out!
Mon, I am out and DH is home with the older 2. I bought them a frozen pizza, DH is not much of a cook at the best of times
Tues ~crockpot bean meal. But with canned beans, so no worries about them being too hard.
Wed ~ pasta salad with chicken and sundried tomatoes. I think. It is going to be an off the cuff thing
Thurs ~ spinach lasagna
Fri ~ taco bake. ground beef with taco seasoning, mixed with black beans and some salsa, layered with tortillas, throw some cheese on top and bake until golden. My kids just go crazy for this.
Sat ~ chicken and sweet potatoe fries. I think I will make my low fat chicken parmesan strips.


So when you come to town next month, I'll totally babysit for free if you cook for me!

[DogwoodMama]

I've actually started doing an excel spreadsheet with breakfast, lunch, dinner & snack ideas... and prompts to remind me to do stuff like thaw meat, etc. :shifty Here's our menu for this week, just in case it inspires anyone. :O

Tonight:
Saucy Chicken Thighs with corn,
broccoli & buttermilk biscuits

Tuesday:
Cube steak with onions & gravy
Buttered green beans, biscuits

Wednesday:
Muffaleta & fruit

Thursday:
Small Group (?)

Friday:
Dinner out

Saturday:
Zesty Swordfish kababs, rice pilaf

Sunday:
Sloppy Joes

[4LovesMom]

Wednesday:
Muffaleta & fruit

Saturday:
Zesty Swordfish kababs, rice pilaf


Hmmm. :think What is muffaleta? I don't think I've ever heard of it!
Zesty swordfish kebabs sound yummy. What do you season them with?

[DogwoodMama]

Wednesday:
Muffaleta & fruit

Saturday:
Zesty Swordfish kababs, rice pilaf


Hmmm. :think What is muffaleta? I don't think I've ever heard of it!
Zesty swordfish kebabs sound yummy. What do you season them with?


Muffaleta is a big sandwich that is popular in New Orleans... really yummy! Here's the recipe I'm trying...
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_28675,00.html

the zesty swordfish kabobs are a recipe I've made quite a bit, here's the recipe for that... the marinade is soooooo yummy...
http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=348355

[mamaKristin]

Ok, here is the pasta salad I made. on Tuesday, instead of Wednesday...DH forgot to start the crock pot this morning. :doh

I did up rotini.
threw in peas, 2 chopped tomatoes, some basil ~ freeze dried, because I cant get fresh here, and that is better than dried, and some bocconcini cheese that was around the fridge. I made a vinegarette with some olive oil, red wine vinegar and some minced garlic. Tossed that all together and threw sun dried tomatoes in as well. I am currently cooking up some chicken breasts to go with it, and will probably be serving my home made bread with it. Hope that helps!