We are posting this a little early due to the holidays. The week starts out with a spiral cut ham. I have found many hams for well under $2 a pound. If you don’t want a spiral cut ham you can find nice hams for under $1 a pound. A great buy and the ham can be used in so many recipes. Next week we will be making a soup with the ham bone. We end the week with a salmon with a mustard sauce served on a rice pilaf. A nice meal to end the year on.
SUNDAY
Brunch Quiche, toast w/ jam, orange juice
Dinner Spiral Cut Ham, sweet potatoes, salad, frozen vegetable, cookies

MONDAY
Breakfast Cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch egg salad sandwich, carrot sticks
Dinner apple and squash soup, salad

TUESDAY
Breakfast Cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch ham sandwich, fresh or canned fruit
Dinner sloppy Joes, chips , fresh or canned fruit

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch squash soup, fruit
Dinner scalloped potatoes and ham, frozen vegetable,

THURSDAY
Breakfast Breakfast sandwich, orange juice
Lunch  sloppy Joes, carrots
Dinner spaghetti with walnut pesto, fresh or canned fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch squash soup, fresh or canned fruit
Dinner   grilled cheese and ham sandwiches (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash, orange juice
Dinner Salmon with mustard sauce, rice pilaf, salad, cookies

SHOPPING LIST

spiral cut ham, ground beef, frozen salmon, apple, eggs, cereal (hot or cold), frozen vegetable,squash, salad greens,potatoes, bread, orange juice, milk, fresh fruit

This recipe is simple enough it just takes time because we cook the beans from scratch. You can buy the beans in a can and just add them to the turkey mixture along with a little liquid for the same effect. I find that if I have two or three kinds of white beans in the pantry I mix up the blend of the beans for a great flavor. Its the broth that the beans produce that makes this dish. I will also add cumin and chilies to the beans for additional flavor as well. Play with this dish to your own desires and tastes. You can also top with a great white mexican cheese.

White Chili
prep time 20 min
cooking time 3-4 hours depending on the beans

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
salt/pepper to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb dried beans, great northern or pinto
2-3 onions
2-3 tomatillos
2-3 jalapeno peppers (remove seeds for a milder chili)
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Start cooking washed beans in chicken stock or water. Make sure you have plenty of liquid in the pan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer.  The beans will start to absorb the liquid and you need to keep an eye on them and add liquid as needed. In a large pot brown the turkey in half the olive oil. Remove to a bowl. Add onions, tomatillos and jalapeno to pot with rest of olive oil. Add cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until softened. Add turkey ans blend. Remove from heat. When beans are soft add the turkey mixture to the pot and stir. If need add more liquid to desired consistency. Heat thru and serve.

The end of this week is Christmas eve and we have a nice chicken with orange and rice. Home made holiday treats for dessert. Many of the items on this weeks menu comes from item in the freezer or pantry. I buy large packages of pork chops on special and freeze them for future meals.  The same with bacon, I buy it when there is a great price on it and use what I need for a recipe and freeze the rest. We tried to keep it simple from a shopping stand point and so that you could also put a little more of your budget on the Holiday meal. The white chili recipe is so good and hearty. Perfect for a winters evening.

SUNDAY
Brunch Quiche, toast w/ jam, orange juice
Dinner white chili, corn bread

MONDAY
Breakfast Cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch egg salad sandwich, carrot sticks
Dinner pork chops with apple and bacon frozen vegetable, salad

TUESDAY
Breakfast Cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch cold pork sandwich, fresh or canned fruit
Dinner Pasta with broccoli, fresh or canned fruit

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch white chili, fruit
Dinner simple chicken pot pie, salad

THURSDAY
Breakfast Breakfast sandwich, orange juice
Lunch  pasta with broccoli, carrots
Dinner salad w/ tuna , fresh or canned fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch chicken pot pie, fresh or canned fruit
Dinner   pizza with sausage and olives (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash, orange juice
Dinner orange chicken on rice, salad, cookies

SHOPPING LIST

ground turkey, chicken breasts, pork chops, apple, eggs, cereal (hot or cold), frozen vegetable, salad greens, dried great northern beans, tomatillos, onion, jalapeno pepper,  corn bread mix, orange juice, milk, fresh fruit

Every so often I find a great deal on chicken breasts. Buy one get one free or selling for less than half price because of the date on the package. I buy them and put them in the freezer until I can use them. It is one more way to keep that shopping list at $25 a week. Many weeks I have not spent $25 and I save that amount for extras or when I spend $28 in a week. I might spend $40 dollars one week and $9 the next to fill in what I already have in the freezer and the pantry. By expanding your thinking you can soon see that our menus do keep that $25 budget on a weekly basis.

SUNDAY
Brunch Quiche, toast w/ jam, orange juice
Dinner Turkey meatloaf, baked potato and vegetables

MONDAY
Breakfast Cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch egg salad sandwich, carrot sticks
Dinner  tomato soup, grilled cheese, fresh  or canned fruit

TUESDAY
Breakfast Cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch meatloaf sandwich, fresh or canned fruit
Dinner Risotto with Pork Sausage, fresh or canned fruit

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch tomato soup, fruit
Dinner baked penne with egg plant, salad

THURSDAY
Breakfast Breakfast sandwich, orange juice
Lunch  risotto w/ sausage, carrots
Dinner salad w/ pan fried chicken breasts , fresh or canned fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch baked penne, fresh or canned fruit
Dinner   meatloaf sandwich and leftover soup (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash, orange juice
Dinner stuffed chicken breasts, frozen vegetable, fresh or canned fruit

SHOPPING LIST

ground turkey,pork sausage (italian), chicken breasts, egg plant, eggs, cereal (hot or cold), frozen vegetable, canned tomatoes, salad greens,sliced cheese, bread, orange juice, milk, fresh fruit

This week we found a good buy on both a pork roast and a whole chicken at 69 cents a pound. Find some root vegetables that you like, even a good squash works well when the oven is on and you are roasting a chicken. This meal is different every time I make it because I never use the same vegetable combination. It is good to use up what you have in your refrigerator. Make it your own. We use some of the chicken in a easy to do chicken and rice  (and broccoli) bake. I buy my organic broccoli frozen and in a big package that keeps the cost down on a weekly basis. Mid week we have a simple easy to do fritata on the menu. On Friday if you have some of the soups that we make on a weekly basis frozen take one out and warm it up with the grilled cheese sandwiches on Friday.

SUNDAY
Brunch Quiche, toast w/ jam, orange juice
Dinner Roast chicken and vegetables

MONDAY
Breakfast Cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch egg salad sandwich, carrot sticks
Dinner  Easy spaghetti, salad greens, fresh  or canned fruit

TUESDAY
Breakfast Cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch quiche, fresh or canned fruit
Dinner Chicken and rice bake, fresh or canned fruit

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch spaghetti, fruit
Dinner potato onion fritata, salad

THURSDAY
Breakfast Breakfast sandwich, orange juice
Lunch  chicken sandwich, carrots
Dinner  asian salad , fresh or canned fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch chicken and rice bake, fresh or canned fruit
Dinner grilled cheese  (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash, orange juice
Dinner pork roast gravy and mashed potatoes, frozen vegetable  , fresh or canned fruit

SHOPPING LIST

whole chicken,pork roast, root vegetables, eggs, cereal (hot or cold), frozen vegetable, head of cabbage, salad greens,sliced cheese, bread, orange juice, milk, fresh fruit

This dish sounds too sweet but the fruit and sauce goes so well with the pork. A great dish to impress company with or to just treat yourself to a really good meal.  It reheats well but there usually aren’t any leftovers.

Pork Chops with Apple and Pear
prep time 10 min
cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients
4 pork chops
salt/pepper to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup liquid for deglazing (cider, broth, water)
1 Apple (Ambrosia was used in this recipe use Granny Smith if desired)
1 Bosc pear
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
3-4 Tbsp butter
1 heaping Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup walnuts chopped

Salt and pepper pork chops and fry for 3-4 minuets per side. (depends on thickness chops should be 145 degrees) Remove from pan and place on serving platter and keep warm. Take liquid and deglaze pan. Add apple and pear that have been halved and then quartered and then four slices from each quarter. Add  spices, butter, sugar and nuts to pan and saute slices for 4-5 minutes. Remove fruit and place on top of chops. Stir sauce for a minute or so longer until thicker then pour over fruit and chops. Serve.

For this recipe I find working with a frozen crust works well and you dont have to pre bake it as you see in so many quiche recipes.I find a great 9″ deep dish frozen pie crust already in a disposable tin for around 90 cents each at a national chain. I can make a very good pie crust for a little less, but a frozen one makes this dish easy to do. Starting with the frozen dough creates a flaky crust. You can make so many variations of this dish. I use many different cheeses and vegetables and meats. Think of your favorite omelet when creating a quiche of your own.

Quiche
prep time 10 min
cooking time 60 minutes

Ingredients
3-4 slices bacon cut into bite sized pieces and fried crisp
1 small onion sliced thin and fried until caramelized
1 cup shredded Swiss cheeses
1 1/2 cups half and half
3 eggs
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 frozen pie crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Take fried bacon and place in frozen pie crust. Make sure you have pierced the bottom of the pie crust with a fork 4-5 times. (Do not poke thru the pan). Place cheese on top of bacon. Take half and half and mix with seasonings and eggs. Pour mixture over cheese and bacon in crust. Place in oven for 15 minuets. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let sit for 5-10 minuets before serving.

This week I found I still had some frozen fish fillets in the freezer along with left over tortillas so I made some fish tacos. I really enjoy these even more so than chicken and beef which I usually think of first for tacos. Making your own pico de gallo allows you to adjust the tacos to your own personal taste. At a national chain this week I found a great buy on pork chops and I am starting and ending the week with two different flavors for them. A great roast chicken that I find at 89 cents a pound is back on the menu along with and roasted vegetables of your choice. This time we roast the chicken with some garlic for a nice added flavor. Quiche is great for both breakfast and lunch. It reheats nicely in the microwave. Just don’t over do it. The chicken salad was made with left over celery and dried cranberries from thanksgiving.

SUNDAY
Brunch Quiche, toast w/ jam, orange juice
Dinner Pork Chops w/apple and pear, frozen vegetable, salad greens

MONDAY
Breakfast Cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch egg salad sandwich, carrot sticks
Dinner  Tortilla soup, fresh  or canned fruit

TUESDAY
Breakfast Cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch quiche, fresh or canned fruit
Dinner Roast Chicken w/ garlic, roasted vegetables,

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch Tortilla soup, fruit
Dinner fish tacos, fresh or canned fruit

THURSDAY
Breakfast Breakfast sandwich, orange juice
Lunch  chicken sandwich, carrots
Dinner  mac and cheese , fresh or canned fruit

FRIDAY
Breakfast cereal hot or cold, orange juice
Lunch mac and cheese, fresh or canned fruit
Dinner chicken salad sandwich or served on salad greens  (make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a movie)

SATURDAY
Brunch Breakfast hash, orange juice
Dinner pork chops w/ cream gravy and mashed potatoes, frozen vegetable  , fresh or canned fruit

SHOPPING LIST

whole chicken,pork chops, root vegetables, shredded cheese, canned chili beans, canned tomatoes w/ chilies, carrot sticks, eggs, cereal (hot or cold), frozen vegetable, head of lettuce, tomatoes, elbow macaroni, bread, orange juice, milk, fresh fruit

This recipe is all over the web with major credit to a major mayonnaise manufacturer and a grocery store chain where I found the recipe. I made a few changes but the basic idea is theirs and kudos to them. I can tell you that after serving this to a group of friends you wont have any left overs.

Turkey Left Over Hot Dish
prep time 20 min
cooking time 40 minutes

Ingredients
3-4 cups left over turkey cubed
2 cups left over mashed potatoes
4 cups left over stuffing
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded swiss cheese

Take 2 cups of stuffing and place on bottom of oiled 9″ square baking dish. Place cubed turkey on top. Take 1/4 cup mayo and mix with cranberry sauce. Spread over turkey. Take mashed potatoes and remaining mayo along with the shredded cheese and mix together. Spread that over the cranberry sauce. Top with remaining stuffing and place in a 375 degree oven and bake for 40 minutes until bubbling hot. Remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Easy to do and no messy marshmallows. Makes a healthy side dish to any meal. Great for Thanksgiving.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
prep time 15 min
cooking time 60 minutes

Ingredients
4 sweet potatoes
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice

Heat oven to 350, bake potatoes for at least one hour. They should be easy to squeeze, soft and tender. Remove from oven and cut in half. With a spoon scrape out the inside of the potatoes into a bowl large enough for mashing. Add butter maple syrup and brown sugar. Mash potatoes to blend.Add orange juice and mash to smooth consistency. Serve.