A couple weeks ago, I posted my first 2 week+ menu plan. It was (and still is) an experiment in whether I can successfully plan that far ahead and whether it saves some money at the supermarket. I’ll be writing some fuller thoughts on the new planning system when it’s time to share my next menu.
In the meantime, I share this one truth: Things come up. No matter how lovely your plan, things are going to appear on the calendar that you didn’t expect. For example, the organization you volunteer with will give you one week’s notice that they need you to come in on a Wednesday night. Or you’ll be planning to make pad thai and realize you don’t have rice noodles. Or you’ll discover that there are no eggs in the house for your frittata and your bible study is set to arrive in less than an hour. Plans inevitably need to be changed. (Note: this paragraph is more designed to be a reminder to myself than anything else).
In 2010 I wrote a post called What I Cook When I Can’t Really Cook. Many of the ideas on that post still ring true, but in that time I’ve discovered some new ideas for easy meals that I wanted to share. I have a compulsion to cook on a regular basis; we’re not “let’s just order a pizza” people. These are meals I plan for nights I know are going to be short on time or ones I make when I realize I need to get dinner on the table ASAP. I hope you find the ideas below as useful as I do.
Mama Pea’s Chickpea Noodle Soup, which I’ve been known to modify depending on the vegetables in my fridge/freezer
Creamy polenta with tomato sauce and white beans/shrimp
Lentil Sloppy Joes, which I’ve never posted a recipe for, but gladly will if there’s interest
Basic Potato Hash with Eggs
[…] I mentioned last week, my first 2+ week menu plan did not go exactly as…planned. It started off well, but went off the rails a little on […]