Meal Plan Monday Post

Popping in with a biweekly Meal Plan Monday! I'm hoping to get some posts up for July so keep your fingers crossed. We've been using a lot of farm produce and there were some throw together meals to keep on top of said overflowing produce after some dinner plans were changed. I started an evening photography class last week so I'll make dinner dinner early, eat it myself, and then leave the leftovers in the fridge for Patrick. We were both on adventures this past weekend, Patrick in Chicago and myself to the lake with a college friend, so we were on our own.

Meal Plan for Monday June 13 - Sunday June 26

Monday - Spinach salad with roasted vegetables
Tuesday - Veggie lasagna
Wednesday - Kale and napa cabbage salad with beets, blueberries, and cottage cheese
Thursday - Mushroom farfalle
Friday - Salad with avocado, carrots, walnuts, tomatoes
Saturday - Brunch Smoothies and oatmeal
   Lunch Leftovers
   Dinner Basil pesto orzo with mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes
Sunday - Brunch Grits, avocado, egg
   Dinner Leftovers

On Monday I acquired all of this (and more) from my dad. I shared what I could with neighbors and then made lots of pickles with cucumbers. Most of the squash got eaten and what zucchini didn't make it into zucchini bread was shredded and frozen in 2 cup portions for future zucchini bread.


Tuesday - Porkloaf with squash and filet beans
Wednesday - Roasted chicken, potatoes, green beans, beets
Thursday - Salad with beets and grilled squash | Peach and blueberry crumble for dessert

Friday thru Sunday - Patrick in Chicago; Whitney at the lake

Meal Plan Monday Post

June's going to be a little light on the blog! We're figuring out which way we want to head with the blog over the next year and, unfortunately, that may mean less posts. In the meantime we'll be dropping in with Meal Plan Mondays and some of our new recipes that we're trying and really liking. See ya 'round!

Meal Plan for Monday May 30 - Sunday June 12

Monday - Memorial Day 
   Brunch Hosted friends with cinnamon rolls, zucchini sausage tart, cheese quiche, fruit
   Dinner Leftovers
Tuesday - Homemade pizza with roasted squash and tomatoes, salad
Wednesday - Seperate
Thursday - American Tobacco Campus concert and birthday party for a friend
Friday - Orzo with spring veggies, broccoli salad
Saturday - Breakfast Toast and jam
   Lunch Out with friends
   Dinner Frozen pizza
Sunday - Brunch Sausage hash with spinach and egg, fruit
   Dinner Cod, kale salad, citrus snap peas


Monday - Lonerider Brewery tour (with UNC GAA) and food truck
Tuesday - Lo mein with cabbage and broccoli
Wednesday - Southern night: BBQ ribs, slaw with Napa cabbage, roasted potatoes, corn muffins, and homemade banana pudding
Thursday - Salad with all the veggie toppings I could find in the fridge
Friday - Pulcinella's Italian
Saturday - Breakfast Bagels with fruit
   Lunch Leftovers
   Dinner Fish and steamed broccoli with Dijon vinaigrette
Sunday - Breakfast Oatmeal pancakes with blueberries
   Lunch BLAT sandwiches (spinach for the 'L' and added avocado)
   Dinner Risotto with chard and mushrooms

Meal Plan Monday Post

Our CSA box variety is really ramping up! They're slowly transitioning from the spring greens into bountiful summer produce. We enjoyed squash and snap peas this week as well as spinach, romaine, cauliflower, and kale. Good thing we had such a productive week cooking in the kitchen because we indulged in quite a few restaurant meals over the holiday weekend! We couldn't resist with wonderful family and friends in town.

Meal Plan for Monday May 23 - Sunday May 29

Monday - Pasta with squash and snap peas
Tuesday - Throw together salad with romaine, farro, strawberries, basil vinaigrette
Wednesday - Egg noodles with cauliflower and kale
Thursday - Lasagna from the freezer
Friday - Spinach and artichoke quesadillas, rice and beans, simple guacamoe
Saturday & Sunday - Activities with family and friends!

Meal Plan Monday Post

The beginning of this week was basically a "use up whatever's in the fridge" as inspiration for dinners. There were lots of green things hanging out in there; including buttercrunch lettuce, kale, bok choy, and broccoli. We made a soup, had a few salads, and then did a stir fry with all the other non-green veggies in the fridge. Then our CSA box arrived at the end of the week for the weekend but we also had a weekend full of family activities - cookouts and graduation celebrations! We hosted folks over here one night and served lasagna. Good week!

Meal Plan for Monday May 16 - Sunday May 22

Monday - Salad topped with broiled tilapia
Tuesday - Broccoli cheese soup, kale salad
Wednesday - Separate (Patrick at work; I had leftovers)
Thursday - Egg rolls (from freezer), veggie stir fry
Friday - Out with friends
Saturday - Breakfast Lemon poppy seed muffins, fruit
   Lunch Cookout
   Dinner Lasagna, garlic bread and salad; fruit tart and saltine toffee
Sunday - Brunch La Place Louisiana Cookery in Hillsborough
   Dinner Mediterranean stuffed sweet potatoes

It's Always Caturday
 A cootie cat cuddle up in bed

Spring Tortellini

This is a wonderful springtime dish! Patrick and I made this a few weeks ago when his mother was in town. This dish comes together super quick so we didn't have to worry about a lot of prep stuff while we were busy having a fun weekend. This utilizes lots of fresh, spring vegetables including asparagus. It's a great meatless meal too and since it's full of flavor you won't mind that it's vegetarian.


Tortellini with asparagus, peas, and mint From Mod Meals on Mendenhall 
Ingredients
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed of tough, woody stems, and cut crosswise into 1/2" pieces
1 cup shelled fresh peas (or thawed frozen peas)
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
2 oz. fresh goat cheese, softened
Salt and pepper

Directions
   In a 6-quart covered pot, bring 3 quarts well-salted water to a boil over high heat.
   In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, cayenne, and 1/2 tsp. salt.
   Cook the tortellini, asparagus, and peas in the boiling water until the tortellini is al dente, 2 to 3 minutes.
   Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and vegetables and toss with the garlic-oil mixture. Add  the pine nuts, mint, and  goat cheese and stir until the cheese melts into a sauce, adding cooking water as needed to moisten the pasta. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Meal Plan Monday Post

May is breezing right on through! We enjoyed a beautiful weekend outdoors in our yard. We kept ourselves busy with some yard work. We had a good mix of dates, eating out, and using our CSA vegetables this week. Strawberry season has just a few more weeks here in NC so I bought a large bucket and canned another round of jam Saturday night.

Meal Plan for Monday May 9 - Sunday May 15

Monday - Sushi date
Tuesday - Orzo with chard and pancetta
Wednesday - Seperate
Thursday - Orzo with sweet potatoes and caramelized vegetables
Friday - Mahi mahi with arugula-radish salad
Saturday - Breakfast Strawberries biscuits (from the freezer)
   Lunch date
   Dinner Beef stroganoff
Sunday - Breakfast Mediterranean quiche
   Lunch Leftovers
   Dinner Pizza, salad

It's Always Caturday
Nacho thought Dupree needed a hug 

Meal Plan Monday Post

What a relaxing weekend we had! We enjoyed the company of family and friends throughout the week. It's been nice to have a little downtime from the painting demands. We're taking a painting break in May to do some landscaping; the past two weekends we've been prepping the yard and will be adding new mulch and flowers soon. Then we'll be finishing up the last room that needs to be painted! Mostly cooking last week but a few weekend splurges out and about. It's all about moderation.

Meal Plan for Monday May 2 - Sunday May 8

Monday - Turkey spaghetti sauce, salad
Tuesday - Pork egg rolls, crispy edamame, brown rice
Wednesday - Junior League Year End Celebration Picnic
Thursday - Spicy corn cakes with black beans, salad and avocado
Friday - Salmon, honey dijon broccoli and lentil salad
Saturday - Breakfast Biscotti, fruit, yogurt and granola
   Lunch Dame's Chicken and Waffles before a DPAC matinee
   Dinner Crudite platter with beet-walnut dip, gouda, apples, veggies, ranch dip
Sunday - Brunch Cinnamon rolls, sausage patties and scrambled eggs
   Dinner At the baseball game!

It's Always Caturday
Morning snuggles