Seven on the Seventh: Meals I Make the Most

My friend Amanda has started doing this monthly blog entry and I figure if I join in, it should hold me accountable at least once a month! lol

This month's topic is: Meals I Make the Most

I don't really ENJOY cooking per se, but I do like making meals at home because it's 1) cheaper and 2) usually healthier than eating out. I have found that if I make a menu each week, I tend to stick to it for the most part and we eat out much less. I am not a schedule kind of girl though, so I can't say Monday is spaghetti, Tuesday is meatloaf etc. Instead, I plan for 5 dinners each week. That accounts for some leftovers, and some eating out as well. I usually have at least one meal that doesn't get made and just gets rolled over into the next week. I have also found that if I plan ahead for breakfast, lunch, and snacks for me and the kids, I tend to do much better. I only plan 3 each of those per week because we can easily eat something twice or we do occasionally go out to eat w/ friends during the week too. So while I am going to stick to the topic at hand and list the seven meals I make most, I'm also going to include a couple weeks of my actual menus.

Ok, I *am* going to tweak the topic just a little bit. I don't make the same meals very often. I *do* make the same *kind* of meal over and over though. I mix it up a little, but do the same general things. So here is my list:

1. Spaghetti - I make some version of spaghetti almost every week. I guess it's not really "spaghetti" if you don't use spaghetti noodles, but I make some type of pasta/sauce/meat dish almost every week. I like to change things up a little... use penne pasta or bowties (the kids love these)... use ground beef, chicken breast, or Italian sausage... use different sauce flavors (I almost always use jarred sauce, but I like to experiment with different brands and varieties). Always served with salad and bread of course!

2. Breakfast for Dinner - This might be a little broad, but another thing I do almost every week is some type of breakfast for dinner. Some combo of pancakes, waffles (although my waffle iron just bit the dust and it's been placed at the bottom of my want list for now), french toast, biscuits, eggs, toast, quiche, bacon, sausage... and always plenty of fresh fruit.

3. Soups - My kids detest soup. It doesn't matter what kind. They've NEVER liked the canned chicken noodle character soups (even though they'd beg for them at the store, once we got home they wouldn't eat them). However, I LOVE soups. They are so easy to make (just throw everything in a pot and let it cook), and they are a real comfort food for me. I don't care if it's 100* in the middle of August, I can't pass up a good soup. Definitely not a cold weather only meal around here. I usually use a slotted spoon to sift out the chunks and put that on the kids' plates (so that it's not technically soup, "here kids, chicken, veggies and pasta!"). Some of my favorites are Chicken Tortilla Soup, Taco Soup, and any kind of Meatball Soup. Always good with some crusty bread!

4. Tacos - Super easy, and the kids will eat it! Ground beef with taco shells, chicken or beef fajitas on fresh flour tortillas, or my new favorite fish tacos! I also occassionally throw in bean burritos and/or cheese quesadillas as those are the kids most favorite. This is so fun to make as a taco bar, especially when people are over. I'll have ground beef taco meat, shredded chicken or chicken fajita meat, and sometimes fish... taco shells and fresh tortillas, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sour cream and salsa. And don't forget the taco salad variation!

5. Meat with sides - This may sound like a cop out, but with so many quick casseroles and one-pot dishes, I think that your typical "meat and potatoes" meals sometimes get overlooked. Some of my favorite main dishes include pork tenderloin, baked chicken, chicken fried chicken or chicken tenders, pork chops, ham, and roast. I usually pair these with one starchy side... potatoes, rice, corn, pasta... and one veggie... sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, squash, asparagus, carrots etc.

6. Asian flavor - I make poor attempts at these, but keep attempting none the less... fried rice w/ store bought eggrolls, sweet n sour chicken, sesame chicken, beef and broccoli, stir fry... I'll keep trying!

7. Seafood - again, pretty broad. I LOVE fish and shrimp, but really really don't like cooking it. It's such a fine line between undercooking it (the thought of undercooked seafood gives me the willies) and overcooking it into tough oblivion. So I don't make it a whole lot, but it's definitely in the rotation. Grilled tilapia, fried shrimp, shrimp alfredo, fish chowder. Always served with yummy veggies and usually rice or pasta.

Ok, so I guess that makes my 7. Now here's my actual menus from the past 2 weeks. Note that when I go the store, I pick out a variety of fruits (most fresh, some canned) for the week and my kids eat it with most meals (pretty much all breakfast and lunch). I don't designate each specific one when I make out my menu, it's just whatever looks good that day.

Sample Menu #1
Breakfast:
cinnamon Rolls, fruit
scrambled eggs and toast w/ jelly, fruit
biscuits and gravy, fruit

Lunch:
bean burritos, carrots and celery
turkey and salami sandwiches, sweet potatoes, applesauce
frozen pizza, fruit

Snack:
popcorn
fruit leather
juice pops

Dinner:
beef tips and rice, broccoli
chicken spaghetti, salad, bread
tortellini and meatball soup, bread
fish tacos
rosemary chicken, roasted potatoes and carrots

Sample Menu #2
Breakfast:
oatmeal, fruit
sausage biscuit, fruit
english muffins, fruit

Lunch:
cheeseburgers, sweet potato fries, fruit
corn dogs, cucumbers, fruit
turkey sandwiches, chips, fruit

Snack:
ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins)
cucumbers w/ cream cheese
animal crackers

Dinner:
broccoli quiche, pancakes, fruit
spaghetti, salad, bread
roast w/ carrots, mashed potatoes
baked chicken, rice, squash and zucchini
taco salad