Monday Menu Planning

This is my second week participating in Menu Plan Mondays.

All week I have been scrolling through the 393 recipe posts (yep, this site ROCKS!) and have decided to incorporate two great features from this site.

1. Every week I am going to browse through the posts and find at least 3 new recipes to try in the coming week. This will allow me to broaden my meal offerings and expose my family to new, interesting and tasty meals. I also plan on reviewing many of the "hits" with my nutritionist and then continue to offer the healthy choices that fit into my new eating plan - how exciting new dishes, at least 3 times a week!
2. I LOVE it when the recipe posts have links to the actual recipes. It makes it easier to steal recipes and plan your own meals and shopping lists. Therefore, moving forward, I will try to link to as many recipes as possible so that you can clink through as well. I will also try to feature one of my own recipes when appropriate!

So, here is our Menu Plan for the week of November 10:

Monday: My weight management course is on Monday this week, so hubby and the kids get an easy-peasy choice for dinner - they voted on pizza. So we are making homemade pizzas with ham, mushroom, orange pepper and peperoni.

Tuesday: Salmon Loaf with green beans. I got this recipe from Mom's Frugal menu plan. I am sure my family will love it - and it is easy to make too!

Wednesday: A Simple Walk posted a recipe for Curry Chicken Crepes and I just have to make it. It will be sooooooo tempting not taste any of it!

Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner. This is a favorite of ours! I will make scrambled eggs, toast and a yogurt/fruit salad. The kids like it when I use the yogurt to make a face, the eggs for hair, fruit for eyes, ears and a mouth and toast as the collar of the shirt. It is silly but the kids love it!

Friday: Fish and Chips are a favorite on Friday. Currently I simply use the pre-breaded fish from Costco and trans fat free fries...I am thinking that once I transition back to real food I will have to come up with a low fat, healthier option! Any suggestions?

Saturday: Heart of the Servant posted this tasty recipe for Pork with Sweet Potatoes, Apples, and Onions. As infants, my kids LOVED sweet potatoes, now they are a bit picky - so I am hoping this recipe turns them around!

Sunday: Even though I am not eating real food I like the idea of the nice Sunday dinner, like my mom always did when we were home. Our menu for Sunday will be Garlic and Mushroom Roast with Potatoes and Corn.

Garlic & Mushroom Roast With Potatoes

1 roast - we like sirloin tip or rump roast

Cloves of garlic (I use lots!)

pepper to taste

1 can sliced or button mushrooms

1 Medium onion cut up into chunks

(red wine - optional, for special occasions I will add red wine - it makes the roast very tasty...but I only do this for company!!!)

Enough Potatoes to feed the gang

Peel the garlic and slice it up into "slivers". Using a knife make a slit in the roast and push a sliver of garlic into the roast. Repeat till you have used all but one clove of the garlic. Be sure to rotate the roast around and vary the depths of each sliver. This insures every piece gets some garlic. I also very the size of the slivers so some pieces will get a big honking piece of garlic....YUMMY!

Sprinkle roast with pepper and pan sear all sides of roast.

Fill the bottom of a roasting pan with water, place in roast. Pour can of mushrooms, juice and all over top of the roast. (Add red wine, if you like)

Roast in oven. I usually baste the roast a few times.

With 20 minutes remaining in cooking time, add sliced up, peeled potatoes.

When cooked to your liking, remove roast and let sit.

On the stove burner heat the mushroom juice with potatoes and bring to a boil ( you may need to add more water/wine). Once the potatoes are fully cooked, turn off burner and use a masher to partially mash potatoes and mushrooms.

Grate the remaining clove of garlic over your mashed potatoes, and mix it all up. And serve.

If you like garlic, you will like this roast!

YUMMY!