I’m so glad that you’ve decided to join us for THE WHAT’S FOR DINNER SOLUTION Challenge. For five days, you’re going to go into the week knowing what you’re eating, and then cooking. (And I’m giving you a handy meal planning calendar – to boot!)
(BTW – the challenge is for Monday through Friday, but if you’re coming to the party late, you can just tell us what you’re eating for the next five days.
I want to know what you going to eat Monday – Friday. Just leave your menu in the comments below.
Also, if you’re having trouble coming up with what you’re going to eat each and every single night, check out my list of 50 Dinner Ideas. I keep these is my recipe binder and next to me when I’m working on my meal planning calendar, for inspiration.
Planning out your weekly menu’s helps you stay on track with your budget at the grocery store and guarentees you have a great meal every night!
And for one of my blog readers, it will be a double win: not only will you have your meals planned out, but one randomly drawn commenter will receive THE WHAT’S FOR DINNER SOLUTION! (We’ll announce the winner on Wednesday!)
I cannot wait to see all the yummy meals everyone is going to eat this week. And don’t forget to download your free meal planning calendar! This is great inspiration to anyone who feel they are in a cooking rut.
Oh – and if you’re wondering what we’re eating this week:
Monday – (Kimber and I are going to be out of town visiting my parents) Roger is having leftover lasagna
Tuesday -Veggie and Leftover Chicken Stirfry with Brown Rice
This is a beautiful picture taken at our very yummy dinner at Treebones this weekend. Here is our recreation”
* 1 tbsp. lemon juice
* 2 tsp olive oil
* Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
* 2-3 cups of cherry tomatoes, sliced
* 1 cup of chopped cucumber and peeled
* ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
* 2 tbsp of finely chopped green onions
* 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
* 1 bag mixed spring salad
* sliced olives (optional)
* sliced red onion (optional)
* boneless chicken breast with skin on
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* dried rosemary and salt to taste
Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Toss dressing with tomatoes, cucumber, feta, onions, olives, oregano and spring salad
Meanwhile, grill chicken with olive oil, salt and rosemary
Dribble plates with balsamic vinegar. Put salad/veggie mixture on plates and top with chicken. Serve with warm rosemary bread.
This fab explanation – and all of this weeks recipes – come from Kelly Rankin over at www.bittybowsboutique.com (now I know how she has time to be so creative! She crockpots!!!)
Thanks Kelly for giving us a peek into your pot!
I began using my crockpot and freezer in tandem for two reasons. 1) I began to realize that the portions required for a full (normal sized) crockpot were wasteful for our family. Our family of 5 will never eat a full roast, and we also usually don’t eat leftovers. I loved the convenience of a crockpot, but it made me cringe every time I threw away spoiled leftovers. 2) When I figured out that I could use a smaller crockpot for less waste, I realized that I could actually make a normal sized recipe, but dump half of it in the crockpot, and the other half in a freezer bag for later use. This began my experimentation with freezer crockpot cooking!
My version of freezer/crockpotting varies in complexity. Sometimes it is as simple as dividing a Costco roast into chunked portions that will later be the perfect size for my family, so that I can easily just throw in a couple carrots, potatoes, etc. Other times, I do a full recipe and make baggies of crockpot meals, with everything ready to be dumped in the crockpot. Occasionally, it is the other way around, where I use my large crockpot, and freeze leftovers for later use.
One of my biggest “discoveries” was the mini crockpot I have began using. I remember a while back reading in crockpot cooking that you want the crockpot at least 2/3 full for it to have optimal cooking evenness. I found this out too when I tried to make smaller portions in my big crockpot–things got scorched on the edges. This didn’t happen with a full crockpot. This mini crockpot is the perfect size for my family with 3 young kids, and allows me to fill it up without using a ton of food. It will not work once my kids get older and start eating more, but for now it helps me stretch my food budget. Here it is, from Amazon.
4 Simple ingredients and a day of crockpot cooking lead to an amazingly simple, economical, and delicious pork BBQ. No smoker needed, and the leftovers freeze beautifully for a later meal. The liquid smoke and beef bouillon are the essential keys to this simple recipe, giving the pork a great flavor with minimal BBQ sauce. Perfect for a large gathering or you can freeze after you’ve cooked it in small portions for sandwiches!
INGREDIENTS:
5 lb Pork Sirloin Tip Roast
2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke (Typically found with condiments)
2 Tablespoons Beef Bouillon (NOT Broth)
1/3 Cup Water
Serve with your favorite BBQ Sauce, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Place pork roast in a large crockpot. Pour water, liquid smoke, and bouillon on top of pork roast. Cook on High for 7-9 hours, flipping roasts once during cooking, if possible, to allow the juices to simmer all sides of the meat. Meat is finished cooking when it easily pulls apart with a fork. Remove roasts from crockpot and pull pork apart. Return pork to crockpot and add BBQ sauce to taste, or serve BBQ sauce on the side. Great on sandwiches or by itself.
To freeze: Place cooked BBQ in 1 quart freezer bags, removing air. Thaw, rewarm, and serve. Keeps in freezer up to 6 months
I want to know what you going to eat Monday – Friday. Just leave your menu in the comments below.
