What we Eat in a Week

Our daughter, Bonnie, at House of Grace is hosting a link party for “What we Eat in a Week,'’  so I thought I would put together a list of what we (a family of 12) may eat for a week. This is a meal we had for our Christmas dinner. This was a special treat Doug's parent's bought for the family.
Beef tenderloin
I wish I could tell you I have a weekly schedule, but I don’t. I do like to change up the type of food we are eating. Even if it is something we really like, we like to have a variety of foods.

I shop and cook by sales. When there is a good sale on meat, or other produce, (from Jewel, Dominick's or a local Market store), I will stock up and plan my meals from what I have on hand. I also buy our eggs and milk from a local farmer. We do the majority of our shopping at Aldi and I really like Trader Joe’s for certain things. (T.J. unfortunately is not very close to us. I wish there was one closer.)
We don’t have a microwave by choice. Our house came with one and we took it out. We prefer to use a toaster oven.

Below is a list of meals that we make often. I do have a lot of recipes that I make occasionally that are not listed. When following a recipe, I ALWAYS make multiple recipes, usually 3 or 4!
Here are two pans of Lasagna I made last night. These are my favorite pans. I use them all the time. They fit side by side in the oven and are larger than a 9x13.
Lasagna
I like meals that are fast to prepare. I love to cook, but the last few years I just don’t have time. It is easier for me to make something I have made often and is easy for me, than to look up new recipes.
I will make up new recipes using the items I have. I usually do not keep track of what I put in them, so when the family REALLY likes it and they want me to make it again I usually can’t. My kids have named these dinners as leftover appetizer soup or casserole surprise! 
My children enjoy helping me in the kitchen. (at least some of them) They will make meals for me when I really need the help.
I choose to cook with a lot of protein, fresh fruits and vegetables. (Check out our garden here.) We try and consume very little sugar and processed foods, and we try to eat foods low in carbohydrates, no MSG, no dyes or no preservatives. (That doesn’t always happen!)

We also take our daily supplements:
My husband and I take the Vitalizer every day:

Vitalizer
My children that can swallow tablets take Vita Lea:
Vita-Lea
And my little ones take Incredivites and Mighty Smarts:
Children's Nutrition

BREAKFAST IDEAS:

To me breakfast is very important. Homeschooling the children for 15 years now, I have totally change my idea of breakfast. I use to give the family cereal several times a week. I seldom buy it now. I do not make pancakes,  waffles, or muffins that often. I see a difference in the way my children act when they eat a lot of grains or sugars. Their concentration level is terrible, it is hard for them to stay put, and the school day takes way longer.  If I do make these I use freshly ground grain and only use pure Maple syrup. I will only make these on the weekend when I have a little more time, and the children don’t have school to do. I found that if they have a good amount of protein in their breakfast they we have a much better day.

Eggs:
Over easy
Scrambled
Boiled
Breakfast Burritos
Omelets
Egg casserole
Bacon
Sausage
Sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich
Biscuits and Gravy
Protein Shakes
Oatmeal and apples
Grits
Fruit

LUNCH IDEAS:

Leftovers: most of the time
Sandwiches
Burritos
Salads

Taco Salad

SNACKS:

Fruits
Vegetables
Nuts
Popcorn
Apples with homemade dip
Protein Balls
Protein Bars
Ants on the Log
Trail mix
Nacho chips with cheese and jalapeno

DINNER IDEAS:

These are some of our regular dinner recipes I make throughout the colder months. During the summer we grill a lot and rarely use the oven. It heats up the house way too much, and we have the sun shining in the kitchen at dinner time to make it even worse.

Meat Loaf, Potatoe wedges, and Corn
I like to try and change up the meats often. Beef is my personal favorite. Most of my children are not fish fans, so we do not have that very often, Salmon is everyone's favorite. Also they prefer boneless skinless chicken. They just don’t like the bones I guess. I make turkey at Thanksgiving and usually another time of the year. I also make a ham on Easter and maybe another once or twice a year. I am not a huge ham fan, although I do buy ham lunchmeat.
I also make broth out of any meat bones I get from chicken, turkey, beef, or ham.
I use a slow cooker occasionally, because one is not big enough for the family and I have to use two, (which by the way, one of mine cooks way faster than the other. Beware that they do cook at different speeds when using recipes.) Although Shredded Italian Beef and Shredded Barbeque Beef are two of my favorites to cook overnight in a slow cooker.
Pizza is always a favorite. My husband could eat it all the time! Me? I will only eat it if we ordered it out or it was homemade (which I really like, but don’t do that often, because pizza is suppose to be that easiest meal of the week, throw in the oven meal, when I am gone or don’t feel like cooking type of a meal. And who wants to make several homemade ones?)
Austrian Beef Goulash
Golumpki (stuffed cabbage) I cut the cabbage up and serve it like a stew.
Chile
Beef stew
Pot-roast with potatoes and carrots
Chicken, vegetable, baked potato
Tacos
Taco Salad
Oriental Chicken Salad
Mexican taco casserole
Spaghetti
Pizza
Sloppy Joes
Oriental Chicken Salad
Barbeque Pork
Chicken Divan
Shredded Italian Beef (Slow cooker)
Lasagna
Meat, vegetable, rice or potato (This is an easy meal. I change it up with different meats, vegetables, sides and seasonings.)

What do you make for your meals?

Parents of a Dozen

Vitalizer Banner

3 comments:

  1. After years of having a gang at the table we are now just two. The way we eat has of course changed and cassroles and roasts have become rare while steaks and chops have a new life at our table. This is my first visit to your blog, so I took some time to browse through your earlier posts. I'm so glad I did that. I really like the food and recipes you share with your readers and I'll definitely be back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comments!