Monday, June 21, 2010

Menu Plan Monday- The Getting Back To Cooking Edition

After a few weeks of not cooking a whole lot, I'm excited to be getting back into the kitchen and maybe even doing a bit of baking this week!

I've got my oven cleaning as we speak. I didn't get to it before we moved in and I've been waiting to bake anything until it's been cleaned. It really didn't look too bad, but still....

The garden is producing zucchini like mad, so one thing I want to bake this week is a big batch of zucchini bread. Yum! I also have pita bread and an extra batch of waffles on the list.

Even with some baking going on, I'm aiming to use the oven less this summer as an effort to keep the house a bit cooler and the energy bills a bit lower. I've been trying to think of cooler meals or things that can be prepared on the stove top, grill or in the crock pot.

Summer is such a fun time of year with so much to do, so it's appealing to me to simplify meals a bit to allow more time out of the kitchen!

My menu plan for this week:

Breakfasts:
-- sourdough waffles, fresh peaches (2x)
-- cold cereal, milk, bananas (2x)
-- hard-boiled eggs, smoothies (2x)

Lunches:
-- meat, cheese, crackers (2x)
-- egg salad sandwiches
-- Mexican bean dip (using leftover pinto beans) with tortilla chips
-- supper leftovers (2x)

Suppers:
-- leftover ratatouille, Italian bread
-- rotisserie-style chicken (crock pot), cucumber salad, corn on the cob
-- chicken-veggie stir fry over brown rice (leftover chicken and zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms)
-- chicken pasta salad with basil-walnut mayonnaise, zucchini bread, fresh peaches
-- cheesy beef and rice, sauteed zucchini
-- zucchini-cheese crustless quiche, smoothies

What's cooking at your house this week?

**There are lots of menu plans to browse over at Organizing Junkie!

7 comments:

L said...

Looks like a nice refreshing menu, Mary Ann. I hope you are enjoying your new home!

Stacy said...

Delicious menu! Zucchini bread sounds so good!
Stacy

Anonymous said...

Zucchini bread...yes, please! Please send me a loaf.

I'm wondering if you mean the garden at your old house or does the new house have an existing garden?

Mary Ann said...

Mary Bailey,

We planted a garden with our friends at their house again this year and that's where the produce is coming from.

I do have a few pots of basil and a couple of containers of green beans that I brought with me that are doing great!

Ann Flowers said...

You have covered so many dishes so well. You blog made me hungry :) Enjoyed it very much.

Debbie J said...

I need to cook one of those rotisserie style chickens in the crockpot. Maybe this weekend. Mine cooks so hot, I don't leave it all day while at work.

Mary Ann, I didn't cook much while we were in the moving process either. Your menu looks good. :o)

Mary Ann said...

Debbie,

My crock pot always cooks faster than the recipes say, too. I hope you try the chicken. It's one of our favorites. The meat is good for sandwiches and makes a really tasty chicken salad, too!

I did really well with cooking and planning meals until the last few days up to the move, then it was just easier to help support local businesses by eating out. :-) There's a time and a season for everything.