This Week's Meal Plan

This week I am again working on using up some of what's in the freezers. I don't have a a large freezer, just a small one above our apartment-sized fridge and a small 5 cubic foot additional one, but they are absolutely indispensable to me.

I keep a list on the outside to keep track of what exactly I have in them at any time, to cut down on those things that get lost in the back and are then wasted. I write them in pencil so I can erase and add as needed. Then when it gets really too messy I just make a new one.

Here's a terrible picture of what it looks like. It's nothing fancy but it works for me:

Sunday: Out (L is invited to birthday party and it's in the evening and they are providing supper)

Monday: Arroz con Pollo (This is new recipe from this book that I've borrowed from a friend.It's like a really simplified Paella. Instead of chicken, I'm going to be using frozen leftover turkey from a turkey I bought for .79 per pound)

Tuesday: Baked Caprese Rigatoni (I'm making this with mostly canned tomatoes, although in the summer I use fresh)

Wednesday: Miso-Glazed Salmon and Sesame Rice Salad with Sugar Snap Peas (Frozen wild salmon fillets where a good sale price this week and I am not buying mirin but instead adding a bit of sugar to additional sake to cut down on the cost. This is our priciest meal this week which will be about $8 for 4 servings)

Thursday: Pork Chili Verde with Tortillas, Refried Beans, Tomatoes, etc (Thursdays my son has swim class in the evening so this is a great slow cooker meal that will be done when we get home. I'm using cubed pork that I purchased as a large pork loin for .99 per pound as well as artisinal Salsa Verde that I got for $1 per large jar on clearance)

Friday: Vegetarian Minestrone with Italian Bread Sticks, served with cheese and olives (I froze the dough for half the batch of bread sticks I made last week so I just need to thaw, cut, let rise and bake. I will be using this recipe for using up bits of veg that need to be used up, using homemade broth and sale pasta and cannellini beans)

Saturday: Dal Fry with Naan (I'll be buying naan this week, as I just don't have the time to make my own but this is a tasty and very inexpensive vegetarian meal)