I've discovered recently, especially after listing all of the books that I'm "currently" reading, that I lack focus in a lot of areas. So I've declared war on clutter and distraction. This morning I was really praying about how to go about really decluttering my life and my mind and streamlining my focus. I decided (with God's help) to tackle our summer menu. Up to now we've not really had a summer menu because, as many of you know, I'm not exactly domestically inclined. That doesn't mean I don't have way too many cookbooks or hundreds of recipes in notebooks and folders (See, I can be somewhat organized on the home front!), but that I just hadn't given much thought lately to having a plan of action for the summer.
This morning I sat down and wrote out sixteen meals that we can alternate throughout the summer. By the end of the summer everyone will be tired of eating the same old things so we'll move on to meals for cooler weather. I'm quite proud of myself because I didn't ask anyone's opinion, though I tried to choose things that were pretty acceptable to all. I didn't get hung up looking through a bunch of fancy recipes that I will never cook. And I didn't get overwhelmed or drag it out for indecisive hours. I just did it and now it's done.
These are our supper menu options for the summer:
1.Tacos or taco salad
-Refried beans
-Possibly salsa and chips
2.Chicken wraps with all the trimmings
-Melon or fruit salad
3. BBQ or grilled chicken
-Rice or rice pilaf
-Green veggie
4. Hamburgers
-Baked beans
-Salad or pasta/macaroni salad
-Corn on the cob or shoepeg corn
5. Steak, pinwheels, or kabobs
-Salad
-Baked potato
6. Chef salad or buffalo chicken salad
-Breadsticks, crackers, or specialty breads
-Spiced almonds
7. Salmon or white fish
-Coleslaw or five layer salad or Sullivan's salad
-Rice or rice pilaf
8. Spaghetti or pasta dish
-Salad
-Garlic bread
9. Pork tenderloin
-Pineapple
-Homemade mac and cheese or corn on the cob or shoepeg corn
-Squash and onions or a green veggie
10. BBQ plates or BBQ pork chops or seasoned pork chops
-Applesauce or cinnamon apples
-Coleslaw or a specialty salad or sugar snap peas
11. Burritoes, enchiladas, or cowboy beans
-Salsa and chips or crackers
-Fresh veggies and dip
12. Veggie plate, cold plate, or appetizer plate
13. Roast or Stuff (a dish that is similar to roast, but made with hamburger)
-Whole wheat muffins or cornbread
-Carrots, potatoes, and onions
-Sliced tomatoes and cucumbers (fresh from the garden hopefully!) or green beans
14. A chicken dish, chicken casserole, or whole baked chicken
-Carrots, potatoes, and onions or oven roasted veggies
-Green beans
15. Homemade pizza
-Salad or veggies and dip
16. Hamburger tomato dip
-Tortilla chips
-Salad or sliced veggies
These are in no particular order so we can pick and choose. I also usually have fresh veggies, pasta salad, deviled eggs, and assorted melons hanging around if we need any extra stuff.
For summer desserts we like frozen yogurt pie, ice cream, any kind of pie made with Cool Whip, cheesecake, peach cobbler, blackberry cobbler, and light lemon or white cakes. That said, I rarely make dessert and try not to keep that stuff hanging around here. Plus, I'm supposed to be eating primarily a Mediterranean low cholesterol diet.
7 comments:
What a fun idea, a summer menu! I think this is fabulous, we are tired of soups and chili around here so I'll give it a try today.
As Rachel Ray would say, yummo! When do I need to be there?!!? Ha ha, but those sound great. You definitely deserve a pat on the back. I'm giving one from Tennessee...would you be interested in sharing some of those recipes? Like Sullivan's Salad or Cowboy Beans? Those sound kid friendly.
Another thought...we grill out almost every night in the summer, so along with hamburgers, what about hamburger steak with gravy and potatoes? And, of course, bread to sop up the brown gravy. That's a fav. at my house. Also, grilled potatoes are wonderful...make a foil packet, and season with butter, worcestershire's, olive oil, and salt and pepper. If you try these, it's good to get them started in the microwave until they're pretty soft, or almost crunchy. Then finish on the grill. I also love grilled squash, zucchini, and corn!
Happy eating!
I'm not so sure I'd get tired of that diet! Looks like some yummy stuff. Actually, I could get stuck on the enchiladas for a few weeks and not move to the other stuff! :-)
tm
I need to do this, too. I have the best of intentions, but I really hate meal planning. Not so much the cooking, just the planning!
OH, I loved this!! What a great idea! We have had too many nights in our home where it's 8pm and the kids are asking what's for supper? Sad, but true. I've been trying to do better, but I really struggle in this area.
Thanks for the great idea!
What a great idea! I needed this!
Thanks,
Elisa
these are great ideas for summer dinners! I'm going to have to steal some of these ideas from you :)
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