Monday, June 23, 2008

Menu Plan Monday #23



I'm going to try to be diligent this week in either preparing larger evening meals which will allow for leftovers or see to it that our refrigerator is well-stocked with ready-to-go ingredients for Lawman and the 2 girls to use each day for lunch. This is a direct result from my week as guest blogger at Happy to be at Home. If you'd like to see the journey that we took last week, begin here. Trust me when I tell you that it wasn't a picture perfect journey. I discuss my 'lessons learned' here.



We will be making a pilgrimage (vacation) to Lawman's homeland (Pacific NW) to visit family in early July. With that in mind, I am going to do my best to clean out the freezer and pantry before we leave. My attempt at rotating the stock, so to speak.



Sunday - White Bean & Herb spread w/pita, BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, Potato & Carrot Bake, BBQ Green Beans (this was for a gathering of friends to celebrate Lawman's birthday)



Monday - Taco Salad



Tuesday - Baked Omelets, Toast, Watermelon



Wednesday - Swim Meet out of town so we'll be packing a cooler w/leftover pulled pork sandwiches



Thursday - Spaghetti Carbonara, Garlic Bread, Salad, Watermelon



Friday - Girls & I are headed out of town for a girls weekend with my niece and her kids



Saturday - Smokin' Shiskabos and Rice Pilaf



Thanks to Laura for hosting Menu Plan Monday. For more menu ideas, go here. Hope you're all enjoying summer.

2 comments:

Kate said...

Nancy, that spread looks AMAZING! Does it taste as good as it looks?

The rest of your week sounds delicious also. I think you did a great job last week. It is definitely a learning experience, isn't it?

Have fun on your girls weekend. That sounds like a blast.

Michele @ Frugal Granola said...

Nancy, it sounds like you have some great ideas! :) I think it was wonderful how you honestly shared your week!

As far as the "taco lentils recipe" you asked for... I'll give it a shot for you. I don't have a written one, but just toss stuff in. I'm sure you're familiar with cooking taco meat, so start with that premise.

Cook up some lentils (follow package directions, if needed); basically, just boil them until soft. Drain off any excess water. If you prefer, you can mash them at this point, or leave them whole, depending on how you like the consistency.

Add Mexican seasonings, salt, onion, garlic, basil, etc. (whatever types of seasonings you like to add to your taco "meat"). You can also stir in some tomato sauce or paste to taste, and to adjust the consistency. Or, you can mix in some salsa!

If your family's taste buds have trouble adjusting to lentils, you can mix them half and half with taco meat. (This will also "stretch" your meat, too!)

Then, just serve it up like regular tacos with the usual toppings, ie: cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, onions, etc. , all wrapped up in a tortilla or taco shell.

Hope this helps! :) Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks again for sharing your week!
Blessings,
Michele
www.frugalgranola.blogspot.com