Bumping Meals

Here's the best thing about menu planning: if something comes up and you don't use one of the planned meals, then that meal carries over to the next week.

For example, last week a dental appointment lasted longer than usual, so that night we had Leftovers Night, which basically meant heating up any and all leftovers (and with menu planning there are always leftovers) and setting up a buffet. Everyone chose what they wanted. The menu originally planned for that night was bumped, which not only means a meal is already planned for this week, but that all the ingredients are on hand.

Finally, here's the tip of the week: Establish a tradition with a specific meal. For example, when I was growing up whenever my mother fixed spaghetti for dinner, we always ate by candlelight. Always.

Buon Appetito!

Monday

pasta al tonno (spaghetti w. tuna, olive oil, & lemon)

garden salad

apple crostata (bumped from last week)

 

Tuesday

scaloppine di pollo

creamy polenta

cooked greens (inspired by Jamie Oliver's book, Jamie's Italy, p. 11)

 

Just got this book over the weekend and Jamie does
a fantastic job of capturing the essence of Italian Cuisine.
Beautiful photographs and insightful commentary.

 

Wednesday

homemade pizza (bumped from last week)

carrots w. Ranch dressing

dessert

 

Thursday

Halibut Meuniere (Cooking Light Magazine)

grilled zucchini w. sea salt (Cooking Light Magazine)

 

Friday

Taco Soup (Aunt Laura's recipe)

tortilla chips

 

Saturday

lunch: turkey-hummas pitas (bumped from last week)

dinner:  grilled hamburgers, baked beans, carrot "french fries", chips

 

Sunday

late lunch at Nonna & Nonno's (yeah! no cooking for me!)