Menu Monday

It's Menu Monday here at To Write a Better Story. And I'm happy to share with you what I call Leftover Recipes. That is the meals I create from a previous version of a dish I've already made. These second time around meals are important to me for 2 reasons. 1. We're on a super tight budget so I never, ever throw food away. and 2. As a ridiculously overworked mother of 5 why wouldn't I take every chance I have to cut my kitchen prep time down?

Think ahead! Can you cook twice as much ground beef, chicken or potatoes as you need now and save what your family didn't eat for a quick meal later? For example:

Roasted or Pan Fried Potatoes = a quick skillet breakfast - add fried egg
Left over chicken = Campbells Chicken Enchiladas
Ground Beef = taco meat - add shells and cheese
Ground sausage = Italian Veggie & Pasta soup (good as Olive Garden's) - add bread sticks
Left over Pork Chops = Chinese Stir Fry - add veggies & your favorite sauce w rice
Ground Sausage = Sausage and Cheese Omelet
Biscuits = Ham, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches
Chicken = Chicken Tacos - add taco seasoning and shells and cheese
Mashed Potatoes = Twice Baked Potatoes
Roast = Stroganoff - add cream of celery & onion soup & sour cream & cooked egg noodles
Roast = Beef Sandwiches - add dry Italian seasoning and broth
Taco Meat = Taco Pizza or Taco Salad
Meatballs = Meatball Subs - use a hot dog bun for easy handling
Roast = BBQ Sandwiches - add your favorite sauce
Chicken = Quesadillas

The point is to think in ways that cut your cooking time by preparing ahead. It seems easier for me to cook five pounds of ground beef at one time than cook ground beef three times in one week. Maybe it's just me?

What are your tips to cutting kitchen time in half?

If you love collecting recipes online you've gotta check out this site!


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Menu Monday

Felt good to get at the stove again
and cut stuff
and dice stuff
and broil meat.

Ah! When I have time to cook it's like my outlet for creativity.
I love it when I collect a recipe (Pinterest!! follow me!!), cook food and plate it up only to have my family be nourished and happy.
Ah, nurturing. I can't get away from it.
Anyway ... this is what was on our menu this week!




Monday
Jumbo Shells n Cheese w Best Ever Garlic Bread
(slice sweet bread and smoother with equal parts butter & mayo, sprinkle with garlic powder & italian seasoning and broil!)

Tuesday
Perfect Restaraunt Steak with Baked Potato and Spinach Salad
(FYI it was NOT the perfect steak. I'll stick to my Foreman Grill next time!)

Wednesday
YoYo your on your own

Thursday
Chicken Patty Cordon Blue Sandwiches with Macaroni and Cheese

Friday
Chili and Hot Dogs, Corn Bread & Chips
(Thank you KG as Brooks Beans DO make all the difference in the world!)

Saturday
Chicken Supreme, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole and Butter Corn
(my version: boneless chicken in pan, slap on a slice of swiss cheese, cover with cream of mushroom soup and top with 1 stick of butter melted and mixed with 1 box of Stove Top, bake 350 for 40 minutes)

gluttony in a pan right here folks!

Also! After searching high and low I found and made the most addicting snack ev-ah! Frito Nachos! (I added chocolate chips, DUH!)

*If you love to collect recipes and are tired of the same old boring stuff go visit organizedjunkie.com! I love all the link ups!


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Menu Monday

Are you cooking this week?
Why not?
There are so many easy to throw together recipes that you're family will love (well, will probably love). You can nourish your family, bring the kids round the table, have some actual real life no texting required conversations and it doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg or an entire night cooking in the kitchen!

How do I know?
Cuz I do it.
And it's not like I'm home all day. I'm totally not.
Trust me, it can be done.
You can fill your crock pot, oven and pantry with items that come together in a snap!
Don't have the time?
Steal my menu.
I'm serious! Do it! You can take all my hard work and totally glean from it! All you gotta do is go get the ingredients. Everything is planned for you right here! It's Menu Monday folks! Get cookin'!

The (Former) Un-Happy Non-Consumer, Finance Friday

There is a HUGE nonconsumer movement happening.
Some call it minimalism,
others green living

but no matter what label you give it, there is an army of people making decisions to spend their money less and enjoying life more.
Take @thenonconsumer - a very thrifty gal I follow in Twitter.

Her blog is an awesome compilation of savings tips and thrifty inspiration. Her motto:

Use it up. Wear it out. Make Do. Or do without.

I like it. Has a nice ring, yeah? She's totally making having little look cool.

I, too, am living a nonconsumer lifestyle.
But I've not been one to brag about it or embrace it!
Why?
Because thrifty living was thrust upon me - I didn't choose it, it choose me.

And for anybody who knows me well knows I'm a bit of a contrarian (meaning my very core baulks whenever I am forced or expected to do/feel/or say something).

I want to be free to speak my mind. (I lost my voice for a few years)
I want to be free to do what I want (mothering 5 kids was an adjustment for me)
I like feeling free to make my own choices (what do you mean this town only has one grocery store!?!)
I want to feel like I am conducting my life, not the other way around.

So when life didn't go the way I had planned (can we say way off course?) I lived in the land of tears and frustration.

In Case Pinterest Frustrates You ...

If you, like me are crafty but skill-less when it comes to crafts
Pinterest is a LOVE/HATE relationship.

I LOVE to look and dream of crafting
but
I never will.

Maybe because I got 5 kids
4 part time jobs
meals to cook
blogs to write
& laundry to do
or maybe it's because the nearest craft store is over 18 miles away.

Either way I would craft if I could

but I don't.

Instead for me, looking at Pinterest -with a holiday like Valentines Day- approaching is
frustrating.

I mean, it's torture to dream about making such cute things
when you know full well you'll never make it.

So this is what I did.

Menu Monday

I love food. I love food so much. I love good food. I love when I cook good food. I love good food at breakfast! Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I could eat biscuits and gravy, pancakes and omelets, cinnamon rolls and quiches E.V.E.R.Y.D.A.Y.

So not kidding.
So menu planning for me....well (dork alert!) ... I sorta enjoy it. I just simply don't want to eat bad food. I don't want to cook something for the sake of cooking something. I'd rather not eat than eat bad food. Gosh, I sound like a food snob don't I? Well, I probably am.

So some of you ask me "How do you do a menu so faithfully?" Well, I do it so I can eat good food. AND I do it because I hate the grocery store. I only want to go there one day a week, get everything I need and be done with it.

This week to save time I cooked taco soup, casserole and the chicken dinner on Sunday afternoon. It took a good hour but it was worth it because turns out our family schedule was INSANE this week. Maybe you'll be inspired to cook good food too! It's not hard! It just takes some good recipes, fresh ingredients and practice! Go on! Make something in your kitchen!

Here's my Menu:

Sunday
Crock pot taco soup

Monday
Italian Hamburger Casserole (thanks L.R.)

Tuesday
Sage Chicken & Sausage, Roasted Red Potatoes, Corn & Grands Biscuits
(Red Potatoes- washed, diced tossed with 1 or 2 TableSp olive oil. Sprinkle generously with your favorite seasoning. Baked on greased pan till fork tender.)

Wednesday
Leftovers (man did we have a lot! The first 3 recipes made a TON! Yeah!)

Thursday
Ham & Cheesy Potatoes with Biscuits

Friday
Campbell's Chicken Enchiladas with Rice and Beans
(I bought a Rotisserie Chicken deboned it and froze the meat for snap preparation!)

Saturday
Ribeye Steaks, Baked Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli


I also made:
Crecent Rolls Breakfast Casserole
Sorta Monkey Bread
Oatmeal Scotchie Cookies
Frozen Hot Chocolate