Meal and Menu Planning For the Family Part 5

Stocking your cupboards up with lots of spices is important to keep your food tasting delicious.

If you are a regular visitor you know that I love adding a little Spice to my food.

Most people don’t realize you shouldn’t leave your spices by the stove because the heat will dry them out. I store mine in containers in a basket across my kitchen.

I put them in baskets so there easy to take to the stove when I’m cooking.

Lots of people don’t know

spices expire too

just like that jug of milk in your refrigerator that has seen better days.

Check the expiration date when you buy them from the store. For help with picking the right spices for your recipe  see my  Herb and Spicee Glossary

Part One,

Part Two

and

Part Three

If you have some menu ideas, even if you don’t have the recipes you can join me on Monday for Marvelous Menu Meme

Meal and Menu Planning For the Family Part 2

Cooking for a family when you’re on a diet doesn’t mean the family has to go without. When you plan your meals buy foods that meet your diet needs and your family’s needs too.

When someone’s on a diet the other family members need to help support the person while they’re going through a life altering process. There are a lot of healthier foods that taste as good as the high calorie foods we all tend to grab at the grocery store. For the family members that do not need to lose any weight you could encourage them to eat an extra serving or have a snack between lunch and dinner. A dieter’s life is a lot better when everyone works with the person rather than against the person’s goal to lose weight.

Looking for some menu/meal ideas check out Marvelous Menu.

If you have some menu ideas, even if you don’t have the recipes you can join me on Monday for Marvelous Menu Meme.

Meal and Menu Planning For the Family Part 1

Tim from Everyday Living asked me a question which inspired me to write a series of posts on

M eal and M enu planning for the  family.

Here is the first of several post on meal and menu planning for your family.

Meal planning doesn’t need to be something you dread or don’t bother to do. Setting up a meal plan can save your family time and money.

First you need to write down a list of the foods/meals your family eats on a regular basis. If your family eats a lot of spaghetti or burritos you’ll need to always have the groceries in your pantry and refrigerator.

I prefer to write down a list of 6 meals a week and winging it one day a week. Some families go out to eat on weekends or the kids are not home, so this works for them. Once you decide on the meals your family likes you can write an in depth grocery list. Make sure you look in your refrigerator and pantry for groceries and spices. You don’t want to buy too many of something if it will not stay fresh.

I usually check my newspaper for the store ads and the coupons. I usually match up the coupons with the items for sale in the store ad For instance I went to the grocery store a couple of weeks ago and I found boneless skinless chicken breast on sale for $4.99 for a 3 pound bag. I bought 10 bags of it. I’m sure the clerk thought good god she sure likes chicken.

I have a deep freeze in my kitchen so I’m able to stock up for things when they are on sale. I have 8 containers of peanut butter in my cabinet right now.

A while back I had 5 bottles of tomato ketchup in my pantry.

Stocking up on groceries does really save you some bucks. You might have to put out the money in one week to pick up the deals, but you will save money the next week. It all works out in the end. A well stocked pantry makes for a happy family. There’s nothing worse than going to an empty pantry when you are really hungry for something good.

Until the Next Post of this Series.

Check out my Series of Memes Marvelous Menu- Join the fun on Monday’s

Marvelous Menu Meme #8

Monday:
Beef and Vegetable Stir-fry
Sides-> White rice (use my facebook tip)
Tuesday:
Chicken Pizza
Side-> Peas
Wednesday:
Edamae Salad
Thursday:
BBQ Pork

Sides-> Simple Potato Salad
Friday:
Freebie Friday or Leftovers
Saturday: Subway: Turkey and Guacamole
Sunday: Pork Tenderloin
Side->Rice and Beans

Marvelous Menu Meme #7

Monday: Surprise Spaghetti

Ingredients:
Cooking spray or 1 tsp veg oil
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup Italian tomatoes, diced
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoon white sugar
1 (10.5 ounce) cream mushroom soup
1 pound cooked spaghetti
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil and brown ground beef with onion.
2. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar; stir well. Stir in mushroom soup. Turn to low and cook for 5-10 minutes.
3. Add drained spaghetti, stir occasionally and add italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, and parsley; mix well.
Sides:-> corn on the cob and ice cream with chocolate syrup and a cherry on top.

Tuesday: Ginger Ground Patties
1 pound ground beef
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoon yellow onion, finely diced
2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1 pinch salt and black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and form into patties and cook.
Side-> baked potatoes and cucumber salad (Make extra potatoes for Thursday.)

Wednesday: Bean and Tomato Salad
1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans rinse and drain
1 tablespoon bacon bits (optional) or 2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 large green pepper, chopped
2 green onions, chopped (both white and green parts)
2 tablespoons green olives, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic
1. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients and refrigerate for 30 minutes before eating.
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