14 Day Menu : 2/14 - 2/27 2009

Hi everybody! So, as mothers, we all know how frustrating dinner can be, yet one thing that I have found to be lifesaving is to develop a 2 week menu for my dinners. I cannot begin to express how much time and stress having a pre-made menu has helped me! I am always on the prowl for fresh ideas for dinner because leftovers pretty much does not exist in our home and repetitive meals can get quite boring(but I must say that I do have my standard "back-me up, because I do not feel like cooking a darn thing dishes...aka pizza, sandwiches, burgers, etc.)

I watch the Food Network during the day at random, and this helps me get at least an idea if not an entire recipe of new things that I can try in the kitchen. My favorite is Ina Garten/"Barefoot Contessa", "Everyday Italian" with Gaida, "Jamie At Home", and I have started watching "Healthy Appetites". I truly think that you do not need hamburger helper or fast food to make your family happy. All you need is a bit of patience, creativity, and the will to feed your family wholesome food with love! Whether you are vegetarian, vegan, a raw foodist, or an avid meat eater, you can make most of your meals specials!

In addition to planning out my menus, I also have pre-printed grocery lists and menu outlines that I can just grab and take with me when I go grocery shopping, which is usually every two weeks. I wake up Every other Saturday around 7am and head out to the market, grab some hot tea or a "Naked Mighty Mango" smoothie, pull out my list held firmly on a clip board along with a pencil and calculator(oh yes, I am serious about our budget...LOL). The grocery lists have all the basic items that 99% of the time I will end up needing. I did this because I was growing tired of writing out grocery lists every 2 weeks that contained the EXACT same ingredients more or less. I keep a space at the bottom for miscellaneous ingredients that any special recipes may call for.

Ok, so here is our tentative menu for the next two weeks. I will try my best to share these lists with you all as I make them twice a month as well as photos every now and then! Ok, here ya go. Bon Appetit!

The Menu:

Baked Zuchinni Crisps w/ Roasted Tomatoes over Marinara Spaghetti. Red Wine

Chipotle Tofu Burritos w/ Chips & Salsa & Lemon Chillers

Chicken & Chick Pea "Tagine" w/ Cinnamon Oranges & Bananas. Sweet Tea

Pizza w/ Salad

Turkey Burgers w/ Fruit Salad

Sea Scallops Wrapped in Smoked Salmon over Homemade Pasta/Rice & Withered Spinach

Linguine w/ Crab Sauce

Lasagna w/ Turkey Meat Sauce

Tomato Basil Soup w/ Personal Spinach Quiche Cups

Shrimp Ceasar Salad w/ Homemade Rustic Bread

Baked Tilapia w/ Avocado, Tomato, & Corn Salsa, Jasmine Rice, Broccoli

Shrimp w/ Brussel Sprouts & Corn on the cob

Black Bean & Portobello Mushroom Burgers w/ Baked Fries. Lemonade

Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwiches w/ Fruit Salad & Chips

Dessert Ideas:

White Chocolate & Macadamian Nut Brownies

Personal Fruit Tarts w/ Lemon Cream

Pineapple Smoothies