Last week's menu went okay. I didn't get to the taco salad (froze the meat) because when I ran into the grocery store for a quick few items the most beautiful catfish fillets jumped into my basket. I had to take them home. Then, I had to make this!

I actually did make our Chinese appetizer dinner last week. However, I decided not to make the satay, as we just would have had too much food. Looking back, I should have as we didn't really care for the egg rolls too much and didn't like the soup at all. Lesson learned. The dumplings rocked though, and we had them for leftovers all weekend ... cold, reheated in the oven, nuked ... we weren't fussy. They were that good!

The one meal I so wanted to make, Maple-Flavored Barbecue Chicken, I just completely forgot! I never printed out my menu plan and posted it on my fridge (like I do, every single week). Big mistake. I kept running back to our (home) office to check my computer for what I should make, when it would have been smart of me to just print the darned thing out already! I think the fence guys must have cut some of the wires to my brain too ... it was that kind of week. (Tempted to make it this week, even though it's just Emi and I ... depends on my lazy-level, lol!)

Jeff leaves Tuesday morning for an unplanned trip to Virginia. Since we are all getting up at o'dark thirty to take him 2.5 hours (each way) to the airport (ugh), easy meal on Monday and then NO real cooking the rest of the week. I hereby declare the kitchen mostly closed! He will be gone almost two weeks, the longest he's had to be gone since we've been home with Emi (in fact, except for a short two-day trip to Denver in December, he's not had to travel at all ... that's huge!). I do think this trip will be harder on him than on her, but I have some ideas floating around in my head for things for Emi and I to do while he's gone hoping that she won't quite realize that daddy isn't 'at work'. Sooner or later I am sure she will start to wonder, I mean I guess she will, right? But all I can do is try to repeat that daddy had to go to Virginia and he will be home soon.

Don't forget to zip on over to Laura's at I'm an Organizing Junkie for more MPM!

· Sunday: What I Didn’t Get to Last Week
o No matter how much I plan or promise myself I won’t laze out and just say, “scrounge night”, it happens. At least once a week. So, I end up with a menu and (usually) ingredients for one meal (sadly, sometimes more than one). So here is my plan to not waste anything and to use up that meal. If, on the other hand I am fabulously organized and manage to make all planned meals … I hereby declare Sunday nights PIZZA night. Order in, Kiy does nothing, Pizza night!
o This week it’s: Pizza! Go figure, but it’s true. We were going to do the taco salad but since I needed to run to Target and didn't even leave the house until 5 pm .... Taco salad wasn't going to happen (it takes me awhile when I go to Target). We’ve decided we are too cheap to order delivery from now on (local folks are great, but they have had to add a substantial amount for a delivery charge and we are only a half a block away). So, usually we will just run up there and pick it up. So while Emi and I were at Target, I grabbed a couple of frozen pizzas. Boy, have they come a long way! Not as good as the local folks but better (to us) than the big chain pizzas. Emi and I had a roasted Portobello mushroom and spinach pizza (yes, she adored it … but she also had a ‘real’ meal of mashed potatoes and chicken with nectarines first, who knew she’d like that pizza?!). Jeff had some of ours and a pepperoni pizza. (Yick)

· Monday: Going to make a half pot of Jules’ Homemade Tomato Soup. That way, Emi and I can have it for leftovers through the week. Whatever we haven’t finished by the end of the week I will put into freezer containers for lunches or quick dinners. Along with the soup I will make some kind of grilled meat and cheese sandwiches (both Emi and Jeff are huge fans of grilled sandwiches).

· Tuesday thru Saturday: From here on out, it will be leftover soup, sandwiches, quickie cheese and chicken quesadillas with fruit, scrambled eggs with toast and fruit, Morning Star farms (fake) chicken nuggets with some kind of pasta and a frozen vegs (these things rock by the way), other MSFarms ‘meats’, etc. I am so not cooking elaborate meals for just the two of us.

Original Post: Menu Plan (July 27 – August 2)