Tag Archives: menu plan

A meal plan from the pantry

I’ve always cooked a lot of our dinners, but we’d gotten in the habit of eating out frequently. Well, we’re definitely not doing that these days. I’ve been cooking a lot. The big change here is that I’m planning our meals based on what’s in the pantry and freezer rather than just on what sounds good.

Monday: Tacos
I have some seasoned beef in the freezer already, so this is going to be an easy one.
Tuesday: Teigen chicken with fried rice
The first Chrissy Teigen recipe I ever made was her Lettuce Wraps, and it is still one of my favorites. I’m serving it with fried rice instead of lettuce this time.
Wednesday: Veggie curry
I’m going to use sweet potatoes, lentils and maybe some carrots.
Thursday: Grilled burgers
I’m crossing my fingers in hope that Aldi and Instacart will come through and bring me some hamburger buns later this week.
Friday: Pizza
Most likely from the freezer. I don’t have any dairy-free frozen pizzas on hand, though, so I’m not sure what I’ll have.
Saturday: Chicken noodle soup
I’m going to use the last bag of Krzysiak’s noodles in my freezer. I am equal parts excited and sad.

Hungry for more? Check out the Menu Plan Monday linkup at Org Junkie.

Of course I’m calling them David S Pumpkins muffins. Any questions?

It is decorative gourd season, mighty friendlies, and I got my October off to a properly spooky start by walking straight into a dangling spider in the garage this morning. Later this evening Rockford will be figuring out where we put all of the Halloween decor when we moved in some 10 months ago, and then we will commence with the spookyfication of hearth and home.

In further autumnal news, today I made some pumpkin muffins with a lot of chocolate chips and every fall-evoking spice in the cabinet. They were delicious, and they tasted like break-apart chocolate oranges because I also put an orange’s worth of zest in them.

The children, naturally, did not care for them.


David S Pumpkins Muffins
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
zest of one orange
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pop paper liners into a muffin pan.

Mix sugar, maple syrup, oil, eggs, pumpkin and water. In separate bowl mix together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, zest and salt. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20.

And here, friends, is what we’ll be having for dinner this week.

Monday: Chili

I made chili for a church thing yesterday, and I far overestimated how much I’d need. So the “spare chili,” as Pete calls it, will be appearing on our table this evening.

Tuesday: Meatball soup
I used to make Rachael Ray recipes all the time, and then I just stopped for no particular reason. Rachael fatigue, I guess. But lately I’ve been very enthusiastic about soup and meatballs — because I am about to turn 40 and that’s what happens, kids — and when I googled “meatball soup” this popped up.

Wednesday: KFC?
I don’t know. These busy Wednesday nights are wearing on me.

Thursday: Breakfast for dinner
Maybe I’ll let the kids make their own eggs this week.

Friday: Tacos
Poppy is volunteering at a fundraiser for a friend’s non-profit, but the rest of us will be at home eating tacos.

Hungry for more? Check out the Menu Plan Monday linkup at OrgJunkie.

A poem and a menu plan

Pete cleaned his room over the weekend and unearthed a small notebook that used to live in my purse but somehow ended up buried under 6 months’ worth of Legos and socks in his room. In it, I found this gem that he wrote way back in those halcyon days of 2015:

The Ballad of Road Muffin
Road muffin —
you taste so good.
Road muffin —
How could I ever
leave you behind?
Oh road muffin —
How I will miss you
when you’re in my stomach.

I found you on the road
and now you’ve been eaten.
Yes I found you on the road,
and now you’ve been eaten.

I don’t know if this is an autobiographical work or not. I hope he didn’t eat a muffin he found on the road. I also hope that he will eat all of these things I’m making for dinner this week.

Monday: Chicken Tinga tacos

I keep typing “chicken tikka tacos, which is not what I’m making but does sound good. I’m making it with a rotisserie chicken.

Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner
There will be bacon.

Wednesday: Maybe McDonald’s
Or maybe something else. We’ll see.

Thursday: Honey soy pork tenderloin
The honey-soy pork tenderloin from Add A Pinch was on last week’s menu, too, but it’s a hard dish to make when you forget to buy the pork tenderloin.

Friday: Frozen pizza
I think I may have exhausted everything I have to say about frozen pizza.

Hungry for more? Check out the Menu Plan Monday linkup at OrgJunkie.