Resuming My Regular Schedule (Meal Plan for Nov 8-14)

I'm back home again after the long stint with the nieces. I'm not sure I learned anything about being a parent, but I did learn that I am usually a lot nicer person when I get plenty of sleep in my own bed (not on a couch.)

Of course, after waking up at 5:30 each morning and then having the time change over the weekend, I was able to easily pull myself from my own bed this morning. I hope this trend continues. I wouldn't mind it at all.

I started the early(er) morning off with some laundry and meal planning.

While I've yet to clean out the fridge and finalize my grocery list, I figured I'd go ahead and post my meal plan for Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie. I'm glad to get back into the swing of things.
Here's my plan for the week:
MONDAY
B: Cereal
L: Turkey & cheese quesidillas, salsa, fruit
D: Hope out with friends, Pat on his own

TUESDAY
B: Muffins
L: Chicken salad sandwiches, fruit, yogurt
D: Ham and Potato soup, bread

WEDNESDAY
B: Cereal
L: Hot dogs, baked beans
D: Turkey fillets, mac-n-cheese, corn

THURSDAY
B: Breakfast burritos
L: Soup, grilled cheese sandwiches
D: Ham and Broccoli cheesy casserole (recipe below)

FRIDAY
B:  Cereal
L: Tuna Noodles
D: Margarita Friday

SATURDAY
B: Banana bread
L: Mini pizzas
D: Grilled chicken, red potatoes, green beans

SUNDAY
B: bacon, egg, toast
L: Bean burritos, fruit
D: Fish, cauliflower au gratin, long grain and wild rice


So that's the plan for this week. Let me go ahead and say that we had a rotisserie chicken last night and some of that will go into the chicken salad for Tuesday. As well, I made a crockpot ham several weeks ago which I sliced and diced and froze. This will help make my potato soup as well as the ham and broccoli casserole below. I'm just trying to be frugal and use what I've got. One half of a ham makes QUITE a few meals and sandwiches for the two of us. The ham seems expensive when I buy it, but by the time we eat it all, it feels like it was nothing. So worth it!

Ham and Broccoli Casserole
INGREDIENTS
1/2 C Mayonnaise
2 C broccoli florets (fresh or frozen, thawed)
1 1/2 C Shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 1/2 C Chopped ham
1 1/2 C Corkscrew noodles (cooked and drained)
1/4 C Milk
Seasonings to taste (I add granulated garlic, a dash or two of dill, salt, and pepper)

DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Mix all ingredients except 1/2 C cheese
Fill 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with mixture
Sprinkle remaining cheese on top
Bake for 30 minutes

The actual cookbook I got this from calls for red or green peppers, but I get heartburn so I've never added them. Instead, I use herbs and spices to give the recipe more flavor. You can pretty much add anything you want I suppose. I like the garlic and dill though.


It's time for me to get the rest of my chores and grocery shopping done. Let me know if you've tried any of my recipes and how you like them. As well, please check in for other meal plan ideas over at I'm an Organizing Junkie!