SUMMER! Meal planning for hot days

Summer has arrived!  It's currently hot and humid, and I'm so happy.  I took my kids swimming yesterday afternoon to the pool, and as they are all big enough to swim without me joining them, I took along a notebook and meal planned.  Well, truthfully, I bumped into the mom of two of my kids classmates, so I visited *and* meal planned.

In the grocery store the other week, I picked up the new EveryDay with Rachael Ray magazine, looking for inspiration.  I found it :)

First off, I made the Blushing Almond cocktails for the before supper hour.  My husband spent the afternoon doing yard work in the heat, and really liked this drink, with it's combination of pink lemonade, amaretto and tonic water it was refreshing and flavourful.

The Blushing Almond is 1/3 cup pink lemonade, 1/4 oz vodka, and 1/2 oz of amaretto, shaken with ice, and topped with tonic.  Or use more alcohol as you see fit :)

Tonight's meal was Chicken Satay Naan on the bbq.  The hubby and I really really liked it.  The children enjoyed portions of it - they aren't peanut butter fans, so the sauce wasn't quite to their taste, although one of them ate it and then asked what was in it.  I used chicken thighs, and bbq'ed them in a grill basket, so clean up and flipping were easier.  I also made up some thai rice noodles to add in to the salad, but they weren't really needed.  I'm really looking forward to leftovers from this meal for my lunch at work tomorrow.

The heat is only just starting today, and I've got a week of grilling planned!

meal plan March 7-13

Ok, so we were out of town for just over 2 weeks, and meal planning went out the window.  Between eating out, eating at the inlaws where we stayed (Sister and brother in laws place), and with friends, I think I only cooked once in 2+ weeks.

We're back, and I've got our weekly plan on the go again :)

Monday - chicken and veggie stir fry in honey garlic sauce

Tuesday - pancake dinner at church for Shrove Tuesday (carb overload!)

Wednesday - Turkey sloppy joes on kaiser rolls with sliced veggies

Thursday - steak fajitas

Friday - homemade pizza

Saturday - Greek meatballs (turkey) with lemon potatoes and Greek Salad.  Tzaziki and pita bread to be made too

Sunday - roast beef with sides...of some sort.  Not entirely sure yet.

Me al plan Jan 31-Feb 6

Ok, here's my plan for the week ahead.

Monday - salmon burgers with potato wedges and peas

Tuesday - sausage lentil stew and buns

Wednesday - *pineapple sweet and sour pork, rice, and chinese veggies

Thursday - *Red ribs (crockpot), mashed potatoes, salad

Friday - pizza

Saturday - leftover fun night

Sunday - crepes (both savory and sweet)

*new recipes

Menu plan January 24-30

Monday
lentil coconut curry soup

Tuesday
perogies and sausage (by request of the 6 year old)

Wednesday
Sausage burrito casserole *

Thursday
dijon steak* and risotto*
crock pot night - doing 2 pots!

Friday
butter chicken (by request of the 5 year old)

Saturday
crockpot lasagna
double sized for leftovers

Sunday
leftover night

Meal plan January 17-23

Ok, I'm giving up on doing lunch plans.  If we have leftovers, we'll eat them.  If not, sandwiches of varying types will be the main event, I think.

Monday - Shepherds' Pie (using leftovers from Sunday's pot roast, which the hubby declared the best pot roast *ever*)

Tuesday - salmon, rice and veggies

Wednesday - beef enchilada casserole and salad. *

Thursday - crockpot beef stroganoff *

Friday - crockpot lemon pepper ribs* and baked potatoes

Saturday - crockpot vegetarian curry

Sunday - TBD (following a potluck lunch at church, will be light)

* indicates new recipe

Meal plan Jan 10-16

The previous week's meal plan was great.  It was so nice to have all the meals lined up.  I'm tweaking a new, yet extremely simple, way to organize my meal plans.  As I'm finishing off last week's meals, I've got a fantastic smelling beef stew simmering, and an apple bread pudding fresh out of the oven.  Unfortunately, my diet won't let me eat any of it!  Oh well.  If anything though, me being on a specific diet requires me to be more organized for the family's meals.

Monday
oatmeal
leftovers (we've got quite a bit)
dry garlic been sausage with linguine and veg

Tuesday
oatmeal
leftovers (seriously...)
quiche and salad

Wednesday
cereal
sandwiches
baked beans and buns

Thursday
cereal
sandwiches
taco soup in the crockpot

Friday
cereal
?
baked potato night with salad

Saturday
pumpkin pancakes
?
homemade pizza

Sunday
cereal/toast
?
roast beef, potatoes, veggies, yorkshire puddings

I might make the pumpkin pancakes earlier in the week, and make a large amount.  I love making more and then freezing them, ready for the toaster for quick breakfasts.

Menu, Jan 2-9

Ok, here's my first week of meals.  I'll include all 3 meals.

Monday
oatmeal
sandwiches
crockpot lasagna, salad, french bread

Tuesday
cereal
leftovers
sweet and tangy chicken (new recipe) rice and veggies

Wednesday
oatmeal
sandwiches
pereogies and sausage, sliced raw veg

Thursday
cereal
lunch?
Aloo Mattar Potatoes and Peas, rice

Friday
muffins or coffee cake
lunch?
vietnamese roasted crockpot chicken

Saturday
cereal
leftovers
beans and rice tortillas

Sunday
scrambled eggs
toasted sandwiches
beef stew in the crockpot

Will make cookies this week, plus maybe jello for school lunches

Meal Planning

Alright, it's a new year.  Time to get back on the meal planning bandwagon.  I'm good with making lists, I'm good with cooking from scratch....I just need to figure out what to cook already!   The last few months have really brought along a lot of  McGyver style cooking around here.  You know, two sticks of gum, a roll of duct tape and a package of spaghetti noodles, and voila, a meal!  I'm done with that.

Time for menu planning.

Throw some meal ideas at me, pretty please.  My kids are strangely picky, but are adventerous in strange ways too.  I'm open to any suggestions.  Bring em' on!