Week 4

I'm feeling a little disorganized this week, and honestly I am not sure when I will find time to grocery shop since we are out of town this weekend for the holiday, but that is when I find it most important to have a menu plan! I realize that most of you may have had your fill of turkey (I'm not sure I could ever reach that point) so I will steer you away from any meals that resemble a Thanksgiving dinner. There will only be four recipes this week as we are planning for a meal out, you could do the same, or you could make a little extra of one recipe and plan to have leftovers.

French Bread Pizza is a simple dish to home make, can be personalized for picky eaters, and is fast on a week night. I buy one loaf of French Bread since there are only three of us, but if you are feeding more plan to get more bread. I slice the bread lengthwise and we each top a half with our choice of toppings. My hubby usually picks tomato sauce (we season a can ourselves with garlic and Italian seasonings) with black olives and mushrooms, I like pesto with pancetta and sometimes Italian sausage and we always top it off with fresh mozzarella that we shred ourselves (too many preservatives and chemicals in shredded cheese0. The beauty of this dinner is that each family member can top their pizza according to their taste, veggies, meat, cheese or a combination of the above. Pop into a 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes and enjoy a delicious, homemade pizza without waiting for the delivery guy.

While I have never watched the Pioneer Woman's show on Food Network I love her blog! She always has delicious, hearty dishes that are so comforting as we head into winter. One dish that I love, and is husband approved (her's and mine) are steak bites and the beauty of this recipe is that you can serve it on a sandwich bun with cheese, alongside a salad, or over potatoes, it's pretty simple and versatile. Personally sopping up all of that seasoned butter with a hearty slice of bread sounds delicious rounded out with a green salad.

Thursday I inherited my great grandma's pressure cooker, I am anxious to use it, and think that stewed beef sounds like a delicious opportunity to do so, since this recipe has to cook on the stove top for about an hour. And before you start thinking "what's with all of the red meat?" Remember, it's the quality of the source of your meat that makes the difference!! And while the blogger serves her beef over rice, I think you could do this over any starch, like noodles or potatoes.

Things wouldn't be complete without a crock pot recipe, and this one will satisfy your craving for Chinese food if you are trying to save money by eating in. Pulled garlic ginger pork is a simple recipe that can be served over rice or with the blogger's recipe for mu shu pancakes for a meal that feels pretty special.

Shopping List:

-French Bread
-tomato sauce or pesto
-cheese
-favorite pizza toppings
-Sirloin or steak tips
-salad/romaine lettuce
-butter
-salt
-pepper
-stew meat
-beef broth
-onion soup mix
-potaotes/rice/noodles
-pork loin roast
-garlic
-ginger
-soy sauce
-teriyaki sauce (if desired)

I recommend adding your family's favorite fresh veggies to your grocery list, it is so simple to pair up some veggies to serve with dinner, plus even picky kiddos find the handheld goodies a treat. Happy Eating!