Menu: Feb 4-10

The monthly menu planning is going really well. A couple times in the last two weeks I've reigned us in from other weekly menu items that weren't on the monthly menu plan, just trying to see if the monthly menu list idea is working. So far, it is, and the effort has saved us from picking menu items that sound good (probably because we're hungry) but require a lot of ingredients we don't already have. Doing this in a two-step process is great, because each step can have a different focus:

  • Monthly menu planning is all about ideas to use up what we have already (since we have an overabundance). 
  • Weekly menu planning is all about how each menu item relates to the others, our goals, the schedule, and to a lesser degree what perishables we have. 
That being said, if we have a bunch of perishables to be used I am willing to sub in other menu items, but it also helps with lunch ideas to use those up, so now the breakfast and lunch menus have become more varied and actually easier to plan. Limiting the dinner menu options has also actually made it easier to pick things to eat, because it's picking from a list of roughly 20 items, and even then it's a question of "which is these 3-4 meat items do we want this week? Which of the 4 fish dishes? What vegetarian meals can we make which days?" We aren't looking into the ether of limitless food choices Every Single Week. 
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What's on the menu?

Breakfasts: Peppered eggs, fried egg sandwiches, bagels, leftover pork rib, smoothies

Lunches: Salmon Sandwich w/ avocado, Chicken-Bacon-Ranch pasta salad, avocado shrimp salad, smoothies

Dinners:
Monday: Lentil soup (holdover from last week) [vegetarian; crockpot]

Tuesday: "Enchiladas" using meatloaf meat that's 1/4 beef, 1/4 turkey and 1/2 vegetable matter, though I might be too lazy to roll them, and just make a tex-mex casserole. [meat; casserole; freezer]

Wednesday: Mushroom & Zucchini "Lasagna" (no noodles, though I may make some on the side for the 'Rents). [vegetarian; anti-pasta; casserole]

Thursday: Date night! On Your Own for the 'Rents, lazy sushi AKA sashimi salad for me and the mister. [OYO; fish; rice]

Friday: Split pea soup; I'll be having a portobella mushroom melt. [vegetarian; crockpot; freezer]

Saturday: Salmon w/ lemon cream sauce & scallions, wild rice, and broccoli. [fish; traditional; rice; freezer]

Sunday: On Your Own; chili and hot dogs for me. [OYO; freezer]

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February meal ideas:
Beef/Pork: Hamburger gravy (w/ meatloaf meat); enchiladas (w/ meatloaf meat); corned beef soup

Bird: Chicken fried rice; turkey noodle casserole; open-faced turkey sandwiches; Mom's oven-fried chicken; hummus-crusted chicken (or chicken cordon bleu since there is a lot of experimental food here)

Fish: Salmon (scallion & lemon); whitefish (wasabi); krab pasta w/ garlic sauce; whitefish and rice casserole (from last month)

Vegetarian: split pea (from last month); wild rice & mushroom soup; potato leek soup; ravioli w/ peas and alfredo; sloppy joe's; mushroom barley soup; lentil soup (from last month); black bean burgers; mushroom zucchini "lasagna"

OYO ideas: Tortellini w/ pumpkin alfredo; lamb curry stew; chili and hot dogs; portobella & red pepper melts with broccoli pesto; sashimi bowl; thai curry chicken; barbacoa; shrimp tacos

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