Sunday, January 24, 2010

Meal planning..trying to at least

I feel like I would be an amazing stay at home mom, but being at home all the time actually doesn't appeal to me. However, if I were, I swear, I would make my husband the happiest man. I absolutely love to cook, especially from scratch. I usually have enough time to make decent meals that are prepared quickly and taste good, but if I was at home all day, I could make awesome meals from scratch every day. Well, since I'm not at home all the time, and I do work and babysit, I don't have as much time, but I still try to cook as much as possible from scratch. Not only is it healthier, but cheaper too. One of my goals for the year is to use as much as possible from my cupboard, freezer and fridge before going out and supplementing ingredients when I don't really need to. Sometimes you just have to get creative with what you are cooking. It's taken me 7 almost 8 years to master my cooking skills, but I'd like to say that I'm pretty good at cooking from scratch without a specific recipe, and can get creative when needed. I was able to compile a list of the ingredients I have in my pantry, freezer and refrigerator right now, and I'm planning on using as much as I can with what I have, only supplementing when needed, like with milk, cheese & produce.

Here's my list

Fridge/Freezer/Cupboard Stock 1/24

Cupboard

2 lbs GF pasta
4 28 oz cans org. diced tomatoes
5 cans org. tomato paste
7 cans albacore tuna
1 lb org. dry pinto beans
1 lb org. dry black beans
1 lb green lentils
2 bags org. mixed rice
3 bags chebe bread mix
1 can coconut milk
Pamelas mix
Coconut flour
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Raw honey
1 baking potato
1 onion
3 sweet potatoes



Freezer:

2 sandwich bags frozen swiss chard
Corn
Green beans
Mixed veggie blend
1 lb ground beef
1 beef neck bone
Enough tomato mix for chili for one meal
3 pkgs pork chops(2-3 in each)
6 2 breast portions chicken breast
Peaches
blueberries
Raspberries
2 quarts smoked turkey stock
2 quarts chicken stock



Fridge:

Produce:
9 carrots
2 celery stalks
6 radishes
4 beets
6 small heads baby heirloom lettuce
1 head romaine
1 1/2 lemon
1 bag apples
3 oranges
2 grapefruit
1 head broccoli
3 pears
6 bananas
½ head white cabbage
1 turnip
6 heads baby lettuce
2 russets

Proteins:
1 pkg chicken thighs
1 pkg of 2 pork chops
7 Eggs
1 quart chicken bone broth

Condiments, dips & spreads:

Parmesan
Teriyaki
Asian Barbeque
Sweet & Tangy
Fish Sauce
Brown mustard
ACV
Braggs
Mayonnaise
Ketchup
Ranch Dressing
Hendricks Dressing
Homemade Dressing
Salsa
Sour Cream
Plain Yogurt
Queso dip


Breads:

Flour & corn tortillas
Hot dog & hamburger buns
Wheat bread

Cheeses:

Gouda
Raw Cheddar
Mozzarella sticks
Lunchmeat & Cheese

The goal is to compile meals based on all these ingredients for the next month without having to buy too much extra. I don't know if it's enough, it may not be, but that's the goal. Here are the meals that I have come up with with only a few extra ingredients that I need to buy

Menu plan

Meatloaf-make w/eggs, coconut flour, onion, veggies (include liver if possible), corn & salad

Black Bean soup made w/beef neck bone, & rotel, maybe throw some shredded cabbage in there for extra nutrients?

Chicken thighs (with San-J sauce), peppers, broccoli & rice

Autumn Pork chops with potatoes & turnips perhaps? in crock pot (on cd kitchen)

Broiled or grilled chicken breasts w/roasted beets, carrots & sweet potatoes

Chicken & dumplings & salad
(use celery, onion, carrots, leftover roasted chicken, make a roux with flour, butter & milk, thyme), top with drop GF biscuits)

Lentil stew (soaked lentils, frozen swiss chard, corn, frozen squash, carrots, diced tomatoes, chicken stock, bay leaf, onion, sea salt, pepper, potatoes & diced ham)

Tuna & pasta ( use 1 can tuna, linguine, lemon juice, salt& pepper, parmesan cheese, & broccoli)

Pizza (use tomato paste & diced tomatoes, garlic, spices, honey & ACV), crust made with chebe mix, onions, bell peppers, garlic, whatever other veggies I have lying around, nitrate free pepperoni


For breakfasts, I'm trying to incorporate other foods besides eggs and fruit, my staple. I am going to try and start making smoothies, including yogurt, frozen fruit, flax seed meal, and raw eggs. I would also like to start soaking some breakfast grains so we can have grains for breakfast too, something I normally don't do.

Anyway, this list of stuff is primarily for me, but I thought I'd share with everyone else, too.
This weekend has been a very productive weekend. I got all the laundry done and put up, the house cleaned, and refrigerator cleaned out. I also have planned meals and prepped our lunches for the week. It's amazing what you can do with two whole days off! Plus, Mark and I had plenty of time to play with our little boy. Now, the weekend is almost over and back to the typical busy week! Hope everyone had a good weekend!