Food This Week

I keep forgetting to take pictures of the produce box when it comes. By the time I remembered this week, I'd already put away potatoes and corn, juiced limes, and made zucchini bread. (This recipe, sans nuts -- although this one looked good, it involved math and then an uneven number of eggs to accommodate the amount of zucchini I had. I ended up short on the smaller batch as it was, but it tastes fine.)


We also have a handful of Roma tomatoes (which I plan to eat out of hand, lacking a better idea), a clamshell of grape tomatoes (which did not last the first day), two pluots (How do you know when those are ripe? These are not at all soft), and a peach. The baby broccoli was made into a quick rice bowl with garlic and soy sauce, and the mini watermelon is tucked into the back of the fridge on the bottom shelf.

I usually have about a week's menu plan ready at most times. It saves me having to think about what's for dinner and whether I have all the ingredients ready. This week, and next, I've planned our menu to make some space in the freezer (having the complementary effect of reducing the grocery bill, though I'll be buying a few things that are on sale or needed for the week). Although things do change in the face of unexpected developments, here's what this week's and most of next's looks like:

Monday: beans & rice, fruit from work; leftover pasta w/ veggie sauce, broccoli / TAKE OUT MEATLOAF

Groceries:

• tortillas
• eggs
• black beans (10 lbs.)
• yellow onions
• green beans
• pasta shells
• frozen spinach
• ricotta
• mozzarella
• cheddar cheese
• hot dogs

Tuesday: HOME SICK / sweetie eats leftovers; chili "sloppy joes" / GET PRODUCE BOX / MAKE CHILI
Wednesday: [WORK PROVIDES LUNCH] HOME SICK / leftover chili & rice, Triscuits, orange; meatloaf, tater tots, brussels sprouts / TAKE OUT CHICKEN / MAKE ZUCCHINI BREAD
Thursday: leftover meatloaf, steamed green beans, fruit from work; broccoli rice bowl, zucchini bread
Friday: leftover veggies, chili; chicken breasts & rice / TAKE OUT BEEF RIBS? (check freezer)
Saturday: beef ribs or burgers, corn; tater tot casserole from the freezer, extra veggies, sliced peach
Sunday: eggs, orange sections; [TEA w/ FRIENDS]; stuffed shells / MAKE STUFFED SHELLS
Monday: beans & frozen veggies, yogurt from work; leftover stuffed shells / TAKE OUT MEAT SAUCE 

Groceries:

• brussels sprouts
• butter
• 2 whole chickens
• toothpaste
• bread
• frozen veggies

Tuesday: leftover stuffed shells, applesauce; roast chicken and rice and frozen veggies 
Wednesday: [WORK PROVIDES LUNCH]; pasta with meat sauce / TAKE OUT PULLED PORK 
Thursday: chili from freezer, baked potato, string cheese from work; quesadillas, applesauce / MAKE PORK BURRITOS

I think I'll make this a weekly feature, Friday - Thursday menu and grocery list. (And biweekly produce box photos, if I remember.) Recipe ideas welcomed.