Menu/shopping list 10/20-11/02

My favorite time in my 'work' week....meal planning...YAY! 
I absolutely love planning meals and there are a TON of benefits from planning your meals ahead.
You (could) eat healthier.
You save money.
You are more prepared.
You can plan dinner times.
It gives you something to look forward to.
&&& Posting it in the kitchen cuts down on those 'What's for dinner?' inquiries. 

So as I posted the other day, the meals I am excited about making are:

1. Beef rib with Yorkshire pudding. 
2. Gratin of Endive and Ham
3. Scallop and corn chowder
4. Salmon and cilantro pesto
5. Greek Salad
6. Tortilla Bean Salad 

And under a special request (Jason's) I will also be making rice pudding.

So let me guide you step by step on how I make a menu...and maybe this will help you out as well.

This menu will be for October 20th through November 2rd, which is 14 meals.

Because we will be in Denver on the 28th and 29th, I will use those two days as our 'eat out' days which means I need to prepare 12 meals. 

Now, let me look at Jason's work schedule and see what times he will be working: Okay, Jason isn't working any night shifts for my two week span, which means all my meals can be prepared when I choose. (If he works nights, he leaves the house at 5...I usually feed him around 3...so if I wanted to make a big elaborate meals with a long cooking time, it probably shouldn't be on a day he works nights.)

Since Jason has so many day shifts, he will probably want to do BJJ (Brazilian Jiujitsu) when he can. I will make sure I have at least 4 'light' meals on the menu. (A heavy dinner on a day he wants to roll, tumble, and fight, probably wouldn't do him any good).

Any other special days in my two week span? Well yes, Halloween is on the 31st. I will probably want to make something ahead of time and hot so that the boys stay full and warm while trick-or-treating. 

Now I know my requirements:

• 12 meals
• 4 light meals
• 1 meal cooked ahead of time
• 28th and 29th are dine out days.

I can get started on building my menu now. Thankfully I already have 6 meals planned out, I just need to figure out a few more, knowing what my requirements are

1. Beef rib with Yorkshire pudding w/ baby potato and onions
2. Gratin of Endive and Ham
3. Scallop and corn chowder
4. Salmon and cilantro pesto w/ roasted green beans
5. Greek Salad
6. Tortilla Bean Salad 
7. Cold cut sandwiches w/pita chips
8. Chili
9. Tomato soup and grilled cheese
10. Sausage, chicken, and peppers w/ brown rice
11. Taco Salad bowls
12. Pigs in a blanket w/ sweet potato fries

• The Tortilla Bean Salad, Greek Salad and Salmon w/ cilantro pesto, and Cold cut sandwiches will all work for my 'light' meals. 
• My chili will work well for our Halloween dinner since I can get it ready the night before and cook it in the crock pot all day. It will be hot, filling, and will work out perfectly with out timing.

To my menu, I have added:

1. Cold cut sandwiches w/ pita chips
2. Chili
3. Tomato soup and grilled cheese
4. Sausage, chicken, and pepper w/ brown rice
5. Taco Salad Bowls
6. Pigs in a blanket w/ sweet potato fries.

If you notice, I am also including my side dishes. This makes it much easier when it is time to cook my meals as well as make my shopping list.

Now to get them organized on the calendar:

1. Salmon and cilantro pesto w/ roasted green beans 20^th  
2. Beef rib with Yorkshire pudding w/ baby pots and onions 21^st 
3. Greek Salad 22^nd   
4.   Sausage, chicken, and peppers w/ brown rice & rice pudding 23^rd    
5. Scallop and corn chowder 24^th    
6. Cold cut sandwiches w/pita chips 25^th    
7. Gratin of Endive and Ham 26^th 
8. Tortilla Bean Salad 27^th     
9. Denver 28^th   
10. Denver 29^th
11.  Taco Salad bowls 30^th 
12.  Chili- 31^st  
13.  Tomato soup and grilled cheese 1^st
14.   Pigs in a blanket w/ sweet potato fries 2^nd

<sup>I am also including the rice pudding on the menu so I know to shop for it as well. 

Of course, your schedule might change or something might interrupt it and yeah, that is going to happen, just plan as best as you can and stick with it. 

Time for my shopping list. This helps me out a TON because I will go and throw stuff in my cart that I don't even need, leaving the store after a $300 bill. As I mentioned before..I start by making categories for all of my food to go under:</sup>

• ^Meats
• ^Dairy
• ^Frozen
• ^Dry
• ^Produce
• ^{House goods}
• ^Misc. 

 <sup>What I will do is go through two meals and show you how I would categorize them, then finish the process on word and share it on here.    

Salmon and Cilantro w/ green beans:</sup>

• ^{4 salmon filets}
• ^{1 lemon}
• ^{cilantro leaves}
• ^{1 large bunch of cilantro}
• ^{2-3 garlic cloves}
• ^{2 tbsp pine nuts}
• ^{1/3 cup olive oil}
• ^{1 oz parmesan cheese}     
• ^{1 package of green beans} 

^{Beef rib with Yorkshire pudding w/ baby pots and onions:}

• ^{1/3 cup flour}
• ^{2 eggs}
• ^{1 cup milk}
• ^{vegetable oil}
• ^{4 1/2lb beef rib roast (two ribs)}
• ^{1-2 tbsp flour}
• ^{2 cups beef stock}       
• ^{4 cups baby potatoes}
• ^{2 onions}

  <sup>My tips: IF you are unfamiliar with cooking homemade meals...bring  every recipe with you and buy each ingredient separately. If not, let's continue.

So, we are going to take our ingredients and basically round them up so we aren't buying things by the ounce. I do not consider this buying in bulk, I consider this buying food how they sell it.

Meats:</sup>

1. ^{4 salmon filets}
2.     ^{4 1/2 lb beef rib roast}

 ^Dairy:

1. ^{1 jar shredded Parmesan cheese}
2. ^{1/2 gallon milk}
3. ^{1/2 dozen eggs}

^Dry:

1. ^{Small bag pinenuts}
2. ^{Olive oil}
3. ^{Small bag of flour}
4. ^{Vegetable oil}
5. ^{1 box beef stock (You can use a bouillon if you prefer)}    
6. ^{*Can of green beans}

 ^Frozen:

1. ^{* Pack of green beans}      

^Produce:

1. ^{1 lemon}
2. ^{1 bunch of cilantro}
3. ^{head of garlic}
4. ^{*pack of green beans}
5. ^{Small bag of baby potatoes}
6. ^{2 onions}

<sup>* You can either use fresh, frozen, or canned green beans so you pick which category they should go under. Personally, I like the fresh packs in the produce section. 

REMEMBER...this is ONLY an example of a shopping list for THESE TWO MEALS!!
But...this is a basic list. Short, simple, to the point and easy to follow. Make it your own and work with it how you want. If you prefer frozen salmon, add it to your frozen section instead of your meats. This shopping list is suppose to fit how YOU cook...I DO suggest using fresh meat and vegetables when you can. 

Now, time to get started on MY shopping list. As I said before, I will complete it in a word file and then share it with you. If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment. This shopping list will be based on my menu above.</sup> 

Shopping list

Dry:

Bread

Small bag of sweetener

Taco salad bowls

Small bag of pine nuts

Paprika

3 cans crushed tomatoes

1 can green chilies

Small bag of short grain rice

Shredded Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

2 cans tomato soup

Can of olives

Beef stock

Fish stock

Red wine vinegar

Cider vinegar

Pita chips

2 can of red kidney beans

1 can black beans

Salsa

Frozen:

Pepper strips

Corn

Sweet potato fries

Fajita chicken strips

Meat:

4 Salmon filets

Turkey hot dogs

2 lbs ground sausage

2 lbs ground beef

Sliced ham

4 ½ lbs beef rib roast

Turkey sausage

2lbs scallops

Sub meat

Dairy:

Eggs

Sliced cheese

Can of biscuits

Milk

Butter

 1 ½ oz Gruyere cheese

Half and half

Produce:

Lemon

Bag of spinach

8 heads of endive

4 new potatoes

Mint leaves

Oregano leaves

Parsley

3 jalapeno peppers

Onions

2 cucumbers

5 tomatoes

1 red onion

Bag of bell peppers

2 green peppers

2 Cilantro bunch

Baby potatoes

Broiler onions

Green beans

2 Avocados

Corn tortillas

 
^{Of course as I go along, I add numbers to items I already have listed...so instead of writing avocados twice....I write 2 avocados. Don't forget to omit items that you already have in your kitchen (salt and pepper, ect). Also to remember things not listed on your menu. My son has to eat too so I will add mac-n-cheese packs to my shopping list after it is all said and done. I hope this helps keep you organized as it does me.}