The 2025 week 32 menu plan is complete. It will be a busy week of appointments and transitions leading up to a weekend to celebrate our 57th wedding anniversary. The menu plan is simple with lots of cook once/eat again meals.
Breakfast
Tropical Island Boosted Frappe’
Apple Cinnamon Crockpot Oatmeal. page 256 Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook
Lunch
Leftovers!!
Dinner
Rachael Ray’s Roasted Sausage and Grapes
Hits and Misses
I found this recipe on Instagram several weeks ago and luckily saved it to my new favorite app ReciMe. I am currently searching for high protein low, calorie healthy meals. This one appeared to fill all of the criteria. This breakfast/brunch casserole is spot on. It could also be easily altered for a variety of different flavors. I used lean deli ham. I seldom eat breakfast but know it is important to begin the day with protein. This truly fits the goal. An added bonus….the ‘Ole Buckeye gave it s thumbs up!
If you make the dressing in advance this would be a 10 minute salad. The name is misleading. This recipe makes a huge salad, but it is filling and has good flavor. We sprinkled almonds and sesame seeds over the top. It would be good with peanuts as well.
10 Minute Chinese Chicken Salad. page 199 Trim Healthy Table
I have made this recipe in the past and we enjoyed it. Time changes our taste for things and although this recipe was easy and true to its’ title…fall off the bone, it was not as enjoyable as I remembered. We now prefer dry rubbed ribs slow baked in the oven. The rib were “fine” but certainly not as good as I had hoped.
Fall Off The Bone Slow Cooker Ribs
There was a surprise sale at Kroger on Johnsonville Italian Sausage, so I opted to make roasted sausage and peppers in place of the planned chicken fajitas. The original goal was to utilize an abundance of peppers so this recipe fulfilled the bill. It is such a great recipe that I make often.
I wanted something simple to serve as an appetizer for our planned dinner party for the neighbors. This million dollar dip (aka Neiman Marcus Dip) was new and highly rated. It was a hit both with the neighbors and later with the family. A definite keeper!
This has become a favorite salad of ours not only for meals at home but company worthy as well.
I understand why this recipe got its’ name…it is proposal worthy. I have fixed it often for family as well as company and I always receive compliments. It can be made ahead fairly easily and always enjoyed.
I wanted a new way to serve a healthy green side for our dinner. Ina’s shaved Brussels were delicious and unique. The recipe makes a huge amount so it serviced several additional meals.
Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
This is a staple at our house and I am confident enough in this preparation to include it in a dinner party menu.
I originally planned a lemon bundt cake for dessert on Sunday. Since we are committed to avoiding sugar I decided to change the plan. I made this raspberry cream cheese cake…much more of a dessert cake than a coffee cake. I haven’t made it for quite some time, but it is delicious and keeps us within our current culinary lifestyle.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffeecake
As our daughter in law packed up to take the final load to Tennessee I promised dinner. In a discussion weeks ago I realized that everyone in the family had enjoyed Rachael’s recipe for Sausages and Grapes, so I fixed it for our “last supper.” I think this one was one of the best I have made. It was perfection!
Rachael Ray’s Roasted Sausage and Grapes
Recap
It has been a long tine since I have done a dinner party and I am a little out of practice. The key is the menu and as it turns out this menu was perfect. Not only was it easy to serve but extremely enjoyable. Not something I would like to tackle often but definitely worth the effort. We enjoyed another week of great meals. The adventure continues. Bon Appetit!
