The 2020 week 7 menu plan will concentrate on the current contents of my pantry and stashes in my freezer. Over these past weeks I have been purging…everywhere.
I discovered I have become my mother’s daughter when I purged my kitchen cabinets. Some of the expiration dates I found were shocking! The ‘Ole Buckeye has been kept quite busy emptying the trash and recycle bins as I tossed bottles, boxes, and cans. In the process I vowed to utilize what I have on hand and replenish in a more organized manner.
Breakfast
The breakfasts planned for 2020 week 7 feature the Tuscan Bake on several mornings. This casserole proved to be very hearty and filling, but I am not certain it will freeze well.
I have an abundance of almond milk on hand that will expire soon. Luckily I enjoy shakes and find them very satisfying. Having them on the menu will utilize some of the almond milk.
The Thin Mint Chocolate Chip Shake page 410 Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook and also posted on Gwen’s Nest…Thin Mint Chocolate Chip Shake.
Shake Gone Nuts page 411.
Banana Oat Shake page 413.
Lunch
The lunch plan for the week…soup. I have enough soup to last the entire week if needed. It is cold again, so hot soup is particularly enjoyable.
Dinner
The 2020 Week 7 dinner menu will transfer meals from the freezer and pantry to the table. I have so many meals on reserve that I don’t have room for prep ingredients in the freezer. Nothing new, except I do want to create a very special dinner for Valentine’s Day. Lesson learned a long time ago… going out on Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and and New Year’s Eve can lead to disappointment. I would much rather celebrate at home.
Recap
I will recap the week with a few winners and a few losers.
The Tuscan Sausage Egg Bake was enjoyed at breakfast but is probably more of a brunch or dinner meal. It took a lot of preparation and did not reheat very well, although we did have it several mornings. If I indeed make this in the future I would divide it into segments adding eggs at each time. Will I repeat it…possibly for a group brunch, but certainly not for just the 2 of us.
The Lentil Soup…a huge hit. It was amazing to me that it was so flavorful and filling as an E meal. I did not add chicken, but the soup was hearty enough it didn’t need the meat. The ‘Ole Buckeye loves lentils, so this will definitely be on a rotation.
Lentil Soup page 89 Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook
The Wipe Your Mouth BBQ was OK. Probably better for lunches than dinner. The stroganoff…never again. I made it because it was a slow cooker recipe and I needed the day for other things. I already have a fabulous stroganoff recipe. Lesson learned, don’t mess with a good thing.
The Orange Chicken I have made in the past. This week I added peanuts as a garnish and it made all the difference. I also lightly sautéed the cabbage which was an added plus. A great Chinese on plan recipe.
Orange Chicken page 72 Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook
Even though there were a few meals that will not be repeated, all in all we enjoyed our meals. 2020 week 7 reflects my current focus on purging. There aren’t many new things planned, although I do want to get a little creative on Valentine’s Day. I am actually looking forward to a fairly easy week of meal preparation. Our eating adventures continue. Bon Appetit!
