Project BLD Meal-Planning Week 1

Week 1 of 52 for this meal-planning project for the year and I successfully stayed under budget and had yummy balanced meals all week long for the family and lunches during the week so we could avoid the "to-go" cost and maybe not so healthy food choices. 

Breakfasts for the week:

Veggie Scramble with Applewood Smoked Bacon: twice this week..leftover veggies (zucchini and spinach) sautéed until tender and then I add the beaten eggs. Scrambled eggs on a weekday are really much faster than you'd think and such a great way to start your day. The bacon I put in the oven on a rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and let it cook at 350 until your desired crispness- I start the oven before my shower and it cooks while I get ready. 

Dutch Baby with Lemon and Powdered Sugar: Sounds and looks fancy but couldn't be easier. It's a big puffy pancake that you can add a variety of toppings to, my favorite it simple with a bit of lemon juice and powdered sugar.  Check out the recipe here:  http://youreahotmama.blogspot.com/2013/09/dutch-baby-breakfast.html?m=1

Hard boiled Eggs and Cream of Wheat Cereal

Pancakes and Fruit: Yes, pancakes on a weekday. It really only takes a few minutes and sends my kids off with a great breakfast and ready for the day!

Biscuits and Fruit: I buy the 4-pack of biscuits and they come in handy for all kinds of things, including a quick breakfast. 

Good Ol' Cereal: no explanation necessary. 

Dinners for the week:

Sautéed Chicken with Pan Gravy, Roasted Veggies and Corn Bread: I sautéed the chicken in a little butter and olive oil with garlic salt and pepper. Then when I set the chicken aside I made a simple pan gravy with the fat left in the pan by adding a couple tablespoons of flour and then some chicken stock. I roasted some carrots and tiny gold potatoes with olive oil, garlic and salt at 375 for about 30 min. Start the veggies first and they'll be done just about the same time as the chicken and pan gravy. The corn bread is a boxed mix from Trader Joes and will not disappoint. Definitely a dinner that gives you the warm fuzzies. 

Spaghetti with Veggie Meat Sauce: I make and freeze my semi-homemade meat sauce with hidden veggies every so often so I always have it on hand. Spaghetti night is often Mondays as I try to get dinner on the table between work and the gym. Here's the link to my recipe: 

http://youreahotmama.blogspot.com/2013/04/hot-mama-made-spaghetti-sauce.html?m=1

Ground Beef Tacos (with hidden veggies) and Mexican Rice: Often when I make a batch of meat sauce for spaghetti I make some taco meat too.. I use the same puréed veggies in both, carrots, spinach. And zucchini. I just pull some of the meat out and then season with salsa and taco seasoning. 

Pasta Alfredo (Easy Homemade Alfredo) with Cesar Salad and garlic Bread: Making your own Alfredo sauce is so simple.. And if you're like me you'll wonder why you never did it before. Melt a stick of butter in a sauce pan, gently sauté 2 cloves of minced garlic, add in some pepper, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese and a cup of cream. Whisk until blended. Voila! Yes, it really is that easy. 

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken: I found this recipe on Pinterest and wanted to try it. It was a hit! Here's the recipe: http://www.justataste.com/2013/09/slow-cooker-crock-pot-honey-garlic-chicken-recipe/

Teriyaki Meatballs: A little help from Costco on this one. I really love their frozen Italian Meatballs and one of my favorite quick go-to's is to cook them in 1/2 bottle teriyaki sauce (I like the Trader Joes or Soy Vay with pineapple juice) and a couple tablespoons of BBQ sauce to give it some smokiness. Just heat through. I serve with some white rice and a veggie.. A family favorite!

Lunches for the week: Plenty of leftovers from all these yummy dinners to heat up for lunch with very little extra effort. 

Toddler Menu for the week: Based on what we had on hand from family meal-planning our little one has his own menu. Sometimes he has to eat before I have dinner ready and I've planned ahead for that. This one I've color-coded so I can easily see what types of foods he's eating. 

Shopping for the week: Here's a list of what my shopping looked like for the week and the cost. $108 for the week. 

I even have some leftovers going into week 2...