Menu Planning Monday

We're back for another week of 

Last week went pretty good in our house. We ate all but one of the meals we had planned out. At the last minute, M. decided he wanted to make chicken wings. And who was I to argue with that?  Not only is it a night that I don't have to cook, but it makes one meal for this week that I don't have to plan -- since we already have everything for it! 

Here's what we are eating this week: 

Monday: Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin w/ homemade mashed potatoes and a veg. 

Tuesday:  Maple Chipotle Grilled Chicken and Campfire Potatoes

This sauce is awesome -- my brother sent it to us from Maine for Christmas. It has just enough zing and zip ... but doesn't burn you up. And there is a subtle sweetness. I'm a sucker for anything local ... and by local I mean my old local. [Maine food is good food!] As for the potatoes ... look for a post later this week on them! They are delish! 

Wednesday: Sticky Chicken with Coconut Rice 

This was the meal we had planned for last week that we didn't get around to. 

Thursday: Beef and Broccoli over rice 

Total Pinterest snag. I've made a recipe for it from there before ... but it was way too salty, even when I used low sodium soy sauce. But a ton of people say this is easy. And good. And they swear by it. So I guess I'll give it the good one-two try. If this one fails ... I'll stick to ordering out my "chinese" food. 

Friday: Popcorn shrimp w/ noodles and a veg. 

Simple. Easy. Quick. Maybe if the weather is nice, we can take the kids out for ice cream or a shaved ice this night. Since dinner will be quick to make, quick to eat and even quicker to clean up. And technically ... its not dinner out ... right!? 

Saturday: BBQ Bacon Burgers w/ corn on the cob, pasta salad and some fruit

These burgers are delicious. And for some reason, I'm on a big burger kick right now. As long as they aren't fast-food burgers. I'd really kill for a deer burger right now ... but our freezer is empty. *sad face* I'll probably use up the last of the jalapenos and make Matthew and I a few bacon wrapped stuffed jalapenos a la The Pioneer Woman, as well. Bring it on, Heartburn! 

Sunday: Hot Dogs w/ [homemade] maple-baked beans, sweet corn bread and a salad

I need to find a way to get some more local Maine maple syrup. Yes -- I'm a snob. I buy the bottles of generic Aunt Jemima junk when I need to cook with a lot of it ... but I'm trying to veer away from so much processed stuff, especially for the kids. If you are going to eat something sugary, the least you can do is make sure its not all hydrogenated fats and oils and cane sugars and blech. I make sure my syrup is Grade A [literally]. Nothing but the best. 

This week, I made it a point NOT to plan for a night out to eat. We have the past two weeks in a row ... but we don't need to every week. I'm trying to get us back to the place where eating out was a treat ... and not something to be expected. When you ask your three year old what she wants to eat and she replies "Something that's not at our home" then you know you might be eating our a little too often [regardless of the fact that its not fast food]. 

Do you have a menu plan for the week? Make sure you go over and link up with Elizabeth and Jane ... check out what other people are cooking up, see who's dinner table you might want to crash, and link up what you are cooking/eating, too!