SALES and meal planning/budgeting

I know I haven't been talking about grocery prices much lately. Life kind of kept me too busy to focus on it. However, groceries often account for a large percentage of people's budgets in this country, and so this becomes the topic of many conversations, in person and online. In my town, there's a near-constant chatter about prices and where and how to shop, and I see it in all sorts of online groups as well. I get it - it's really challenging to keep enough food around for a large(ish) family, especially with teens in the house. But since the onset of the pandemic, I've been mostly ordering my groceries online, and supplementing from one or more of my local makolets, and just hoping I can get everything I need while sticking to the budget I set. Usually I manage, but sometimes I go over, especially when there's a lot going on and I can't focus on food prep all that much.

So what do I do when I need to be careful?

Generally, I shop for sales, which means I focus on the produce I can get for 3 NIS/kilo or less (usually veggies not fruits), and this week I found a whole bunch!

Here's my 3 NIS or less produce haul for this week:

Tomatoes - 0.90 agurot/kilo
Cucumbers - 0.90 agurot/kilo

Carrots - 0.90 agurot/kilo

Cabbage (Purple and Green) - 0.90 agurot/kilo

White Potatoes - 0.90 agurot/kilo

Red Potatoes - 0.90 agurot/kilo

Watermelon - 0.90 agurot/kilo

Light Green Peppers - 1.90 NIS/kilo

Kohlrabi - 1.90 NIS/kilo

Eggplant - 2.90 NIS/kilo

Summer Squash (Kishuim) - 2.90 NIS/kilo

So now I just need to make sure I make lots of food that these veggies star in. Oh, and we'll be eating lots of watermelon because the one we got weighs TEN AND A HALF kilo!!

**This is where that meal planning idea comes in. It makes all the difference between using this food or throwing out food. So I should start planning my menu now, while my fridge is full of these deals!**

Other deals:

I also somehow stumbled upon those fruit flavored yogurts that are usually about 4 NIS each for 1.70 NIS each!

(I also bought the rest of our necessities, but that's not nearly as interesting as these cheap produce deals.)

I know there's a lot of talk about the high cost of produce right now, and I myself was feeling it acutely when I spent a week in the merkaz recently, where I couldn't find fruit for less than double what I pay here in the Golan. It was crazy! I bought some fruit anyway, because I couldn't imagine a week with no fruit, but it hurt a bit to pay those prices.

So I'm pleased to report that upon my return home I happily stocked the fridge with peaches and nectarines this week for 9.90 NIS/kilo and mangoes for 8 NIS/kilo or so!

I'd love to hear your thoughts about food prices in Israel and how you keep your grocery budget in check. Please drop a note below!

Summer Craziness... Shabbat is almost here AGAIN!

This summer has flown!! I cannot tell you how crazy it's been for us this summer. Just trust me, it's been crazy, and I feel like every week just gets to its end before I even had time to get started!
I've been working 'round the clock on some new projects and some old projects, hanging out with friends and family, and in the process, totally neglecting this blog. I'm so sorry!
I still love you all, I'm just truly in over my head... Please bear with me, ok? 

So it's Thursday, and normally I would post a new recipe or something, but I just have barely been able to keep my family fed, let alone clean my kitchen. So... no new pictures today! 

But since some of you asked about my "crock-pot" roast a couple of weeks ago, I'll just write out what I did. Feel free to make it and take pictures - mine was only finished cooking on Shabbat, and then it got eaten up, so there were no pictures:

Pot Roast in the Slow Cooker:

Cheapest beef I found was #8 (on sale) so I used that, this last time it was a 2+ kg piece.
4 onions, sliced
10 garlic cloves, sliced
crushed black pepper
Silan (pure date honey) (I used about 1/8 cup, as that's all that was left in my jar)

Place some onions and garlic in the bottom of the crock. Put the beef on top of that. It was a large piece, so I piled more onions and garlic on it and then sort of folded the beef over that. Top with more garlic and onions. Top with as much black pepper as you like, and then pour silan over it all. Cover the crock pot. Cook on low till Shabbat lunch.
Everyone who ate it loved it (I don't eat beef, so I can't personally tell you how it was, though it definitely smelled delicious!)!
Enjoy!

Other Shabbat recipes you may want to use:

Our favorite challah is Whole Spelt and Oat Bran Challah (can be made with Whole Wheat, as well)

We always like Split Pea Soup (though it's a bit hot for that now!) or Vegetable Soup - but I think I've only made soup once this entire summer! Soup season will be back before you know it, though!

Favorite Chicken Recipe: Oven Fried Chicken

Favorite Kugels: Potato Kugel and Broccoli (or other vegetable) Kugel

Unfortunately, I can't post "Favorite Salads" because my kids are so picky and really only eat plain cut vegetables... Though lately it's gotten better. Some of them eat a few salads now, so I hope to post our favorites at some point (when life is calmer).

But most of us really like Vegetarian Liver, served on a bed of lettuce and garnished with tomatoes, pickles and olives (for some).

Most weeks we also have Black Bean Cholent for lunch.

And for dessert, brownies and cinnamon cake are always winners!

Let me know if you try out any of my recipes! I'd love to hear from you!

What's on your family's favorite list?

Be sure to follow my Facebook Page, I post updates there even when I don't post a whole blog post. I'd love to stay in touch with you!

Nine Days Meatless Meal Ideas

I'm running late this week - I forgot to post my 9 days menu!
Hopefully, it's better late than never (??)...

My family doesn't love it when I forget to cook for days at a time, so there's something of a mutiny going on in my house. 

(NO MORE SANDWICHES! - the picket signs are being made as I write this. oops)

In my defense, I have a lot of projects going on right now, and my family IS capable of prepping their own meals. Just because they don't want to do it doesn't mean I always have to do it, does it? I hear their complaints that it's hot and they don't want to cook, but guess what? I can say the same thing!

And I will:

It's hot and I don't want to cook. There, I said it.

In any case, we still need to eat, so aside from the aforementioned sandwiches, here are some of my go-to foods for the 9 days (and actually, any weekday):

Pasta night

Sloppy Sams and sweet corn

Black Bean Burgers with all the fixin's

Black Bean Chili (recipe coming soon - I forgot to post it) - one of our favorite meals right now! (served with whatever makes people happy)

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and a salad

Tuna Patties with baked potatoes

Stir Fried Veggies with tofu (and rice)

Chick Pea Fritters and a salad

Breakfast for Supper

Pareve Quiche and fresh rolls and salad

Black Bean Salad and Corn Bread 

What are your favorite meatless meals? I'd love to hear from you!

Pantry Challenge Shabbat

Not my pantry, but I have lots of shelves and glass jars too!

Last week, on Shabbat, our fridge called it quits. As I struggled to figure out what do with food that would quickly begin to spoil, I realized I may have allowed myself to stock up a bit more than is ideal. So I announced, "no grocery shopping next week"! And resolved to cook meals using whatever we have in the house. Some of the things I found (and had to transfer to the other freezer with difficulty) had been frozen for perhaps longer than ideal - so I'm trying really hard to use them up! We're doing well, actually - no one's starved and we've eaten a somewhat wide variety of foods this week!

So for this Shabbat, we're having whatever I find in the freezer or can make using items in the pantry and fridge...

Looks like we'll be having chicken from random other Shabbatot - there are all sorts of packages of 2 servings and 3 servings of chicken that were left, and it's time to use them up.

We have several challot and challah rolls in the freezer.

There's vegetable soup, that I'm making with whatever soup veggies are left in my fridge (onions, carrots, kishuim, celery, garlic...)

I'll cook some rice, and the sweet potatoes that are begging to be used, and a vegan cholent.

We've run out of tomatoes, but we still have cucumbers, yellow and red peppers, carrots, and kohlrabi for making a vegetable platter!

We have plenty of apples, so we'll make either apple crisp or baked apples...

And I might make a cake!

Next week we'll probably have to do some shopping again, but for now, I think we're doing well with this pantry challenge. We've eaten lentils a few days, random freezer leftovers once or twice, pasta with cheese I had stashed in the freezer, salmon that was the one thing that had defrosted before I realized what was going on with the fridge (cooked it after shabbat)... It's all good for eating, so we might as well use it up! But after Shabbat, I think we'll be very low on fresh fruits and veggies (except for carrots - we seem to have tons of carrots!), so we'll have to shop again!

So even though we had to fix the fridge this week (unexpected expense!), I'm blessed that we were able to salvage most of the food and make it work without shopping!

Shabbat Shalom - wishing everyone a restful and peaceful Shabbat!

How to plan FRUGAL meals in Israel

In Israel, shopping is different from what I'd grown used to in America. I find that it's harder to get really awesome deals here - although I should be honest and remind you all that in America it wasn't like those deals were always just throwing themselves at us. We had to work hard to maximize sales and coupons and figure out how to stretch our dollars.

Much the same, here in Israel, I also work hard to figure out how to stretch our shekels. So today, I'm going to share some of my best strategies for making my shekels go farther.

I have a bunch of mouths to feed, what with a family of 6 (that includes 2 teenage boys and 2 preteen girls who can certainly hold their own), and a revolving front door - so there are always other people over here - and I am happy to have a busy, full house! Of course, this means I really need to stretch my shekels as much as possible.

Ways to save:

If you currently eat meat and chicken several times per week, you can save a lot by planning to eat a few more vegetarian meals. This will stretch your budget significantly. If you have special dietary needs, be sure to consult your trusted health professional before making a change like this.

If you currently eat out or get takeout frequently, plan to avoid that - save eating out for special occasions! Here are some tips to avoid the dinner crisis that often leads to getting takeout. When it is time to celebrate and eat out, be sure to save by finding great deals - click here for the latest Restaurant Deals post.

Buy (and EAT) lots of fresh fruits and vegetables that are IN SEASON. And find a store that has "shuk day" deals, or a store that has a "Sug Bet" rack. You can also shop at a shuk if that works for you - but watch out in the shuk - some marketplaces don't have a lot of stalls with kosher certificates, so you need to know how to manage that. If you aren't sure what to do, please read more about it here. You can also find the latest Orlah Fruit update here (for Tishrei 5758), which is really important information to have if you buy fruit from sellers who are not certified.

What I spend on PRODUCE:

My target price for the majority of the vegetables I buy is 2nis per kilo, but of course there are plenty of times I spend more. It's rare that I'll spend more than 8nis per kilo on ANY vegetable ever. I also try to get greens for 2nis per package, though I will spend up to 5 for a really huge head of lettuce. I find lots of deals like these at the shuk (in larger cities, not my small town), at larger supermarkets, and stores with a sug bet rack, or late Friday afternoon markdowns.

For fruit - I love to get deals for 2nis per kilo as well, but that's harder for fruit. I try to get as much fruit as possible for 5nis or less, but I do buy some fruit that is up to 8nis, and on rare occasion, 10nis per kilogram. If I buy watermelon, it is ALWAYS for less than 2nis/kilo.

Cheeses:

While I no longer eat dairy myself (I gave it up after discovering that I must be allergic to it), my family LOVES dairy foods and CHEESY foods in particular. Lately, I've been able to get "Alma" brand mozzarella cheese at the cheese counter of the supermarket, for 35nis per kilo, which is good. There was a sale on something recently for 25 at one store - but it was so awful my kids refused to eat it! There are a few other cheeses in some stores that are real cheese (watch out for Kfir brand cheese - it's a strange processed mix of cheese and vegetable oils) - that are 35nis per kilo or less. But if you are looking for Chalav Yisrael dairy, some of those cheap cheeses will not do it for you - some are imported and clearly say they are made with non chalav yisrael milk. Alma is all (as far as I know) "mehadrin", and the Tara brand yellow cheeses are as well, and are also in the same price range. I recently found out that the local Co-op shop, while often pricey, is a reliable place to buy Alma brand cheeses for 35nis/kg, AND my credit card gives me a discount on any purchase I make at Co-op! So while I still don't buy a lot there, I know that if there's a good deal on something, my credit card discount will make it a slightly better deal, too!

Soft Cheeses/Feta Cheese:

I make my own cream cheese all the time, instead of paying 40 or more shekels per kilo. I believe that it comes out to less than 25nis per kilo to make your own. I've got some easy instructions for you - click here to see what we do!

I have one child who LOVES cottage cheese - and unfortunately, cottage cheese is still pricey despite the cottage cheese protests! So I stock up on several containers at a time when I find them for 5nis or less. If you have found a store that consistently sells them for less, let me know!

It's definitely worth buying feta and other soft cheeses (besides cottage cheese) from the cheese counter. There are often sales, so check prices for the various varieties before you buy. I buy feta if it's approx 4nis per 100g, and I'll buy about 10nis worth at a time, and my kids will shred it to put on salads or pizza. We don't buy it every week - and that helps keep it a special food for everyone!

Eggs

Make sure you are aware of the maximum amount that stores can charge you by law for (regular) eggs. Find out more about price controlled foods here. I tend to buy trays of 30 eggs for just a bit over 26nis, though sometimes I've found a sale for even less. If you buy specialty eggs - organic, omega-3, free range, whatever - these regulations do not apply. Buy the cheaper eggs if you can.

Chicken and Meat

(I don't buy meat, so I don't have much solid advice about prices for that - feel free to fill me in in the comments!)

Chicken and Turkey - When I really need to stretch my budget, I buy wings - both chicken and turkey wings make good deals. They can be found for about 7nis/kg, sometimes even less. I also ALWAYS buy 2 whole chickens if there is a sale - recently I got whole chickens for about 10nis/kg, and I buy them and freeze them if I don't actually need chicken that day. There are also sometimes deals at my local makolet on various chicken parts (say, drumsticks for 15/kg!), so I stock up when I spot a deal. This way, I almost always have chicken in the freezer so I never have to go buy chicken when it's expensive.

Pantry Staples

I buy most of my pantry staples from a store in the shuk, where the prices are better than "everyday" prices at all the supermarkets near me. If you live in my town, you can get in on this too - as we have worked out a deal - this particular storekeeper (now a friend of mine) delivers all of the Katzrin orders he gets to my house once every two weeks. If you're local and want to know more - call me. Pantry staples that really stretch my budget are rolled oats, brown rice, lentils, and beans. I use sunflower seeds in most any recipe that calls for nuts (sunflower seeds are a tiny fraction of the price of nuts!).

Bread 

It's a bit of a time investment, but I bake bread whenever possible. If this is not possible for you, start comparing prices at all the stores you get to, and note the store that sells bread you're happy buying for the lowest price. This way you know to stock your freezer when you're at that store, or to stock up when there's a sale that's better somewhere else!

Soup

When your family doesn't object, make SOUP. Tons and tons of soup. Many soups are really not expensive to make (like lentil soup, minestrone soup, or split pea soup), and fill people up easily! If you want, you can make the soup the bulk of your meal, or you can use it as a starter (after eating soup, people tend to eat less of whatever you're serving for a main dish than if they hadn't eat soup). Your call. I know I love winter cooking, I find it easier to fill my kids' bellies when they all eat soup!

I hope you found this helpful! What are your favorite tips for making budget-friendly food? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Shabbat Menu Planning

This week, we have another family of 6 (they are vegetarians) joining us for one meal, and tentative guests for both meals as well. Here's what I plan to make tomorrow:
Whole Spelt and Oat Bran challah (can be made with Whole Wheat, as well)
Mushroom Barley Soup for Friday night

Black Bean Cholent for lunch

Chicken with Date Honey, Garlic, and Ginger. So delish, but I don't have a recipe written up, since I just eyeball it... (there are also lots of onion slices and black pepper in that dish)
 
Potato Kugel 

Broccoli-Cauliflower Kugel

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers (there will be lots of vegetarians around the table! And as a bonus, I got lots and lots of peppers for 2nis/kg!)

Roasted Kishuim

Salads (guests bringing)

And for dessert, baked apples (guest bringing)  

Cinnamon cake and Banana muffins for treats

What's on your family's Shabbat menu this week?

Alternatives to Take Out/Prepared foods

So many of us are living the crazy life. We run from one thing to the next - the list of things to do, between work and family obligations is ever so long - it feels like it's never ending!

And that leads all of us to the well known and dreaded "supper problem".

It happens daily - we need to eat and our kids need to eat, and supper is usually crunch time. It makes sense that we don't always have our act together and we end up scrambling for food - and that's when we buy take-out.

I get it. It makes sense. But I'm going to help you find your way out of this, because if you're reading this blog, chances are, you would like to find a way to spend less money (especially on food).

(You can still do take-out if your budget allows - just plan for it to be X # of times per month - I suggest 1-2 at most so that it feels like what it is - a luxurious splurge, and you'll appreciate it!)

Here are some of our very quick ways of dealing with supper when we're in over our heads.

My number one choice would be to take a few minutes to throw a one pot meal into the slow cooker in the morning. This can be all anything at all - black bean and tomato soup, mushroom barley soup, vegetable and chick pea stew... if you prefer meat, make that - almost anything at all made in the crock pot will be less expensive than a takeout meal.

My second option is sandwiches (you can use a sandwich maker to make hot, crispy, melty sandwiches!) and fresh or steamed veggies for supper. These don't take long to prepare. It may not feel like supper to you - sandwiches are often lunch food - but really, the point is to fill hungry tummies, not to be a gourmand.

Other quick meals that will save you from getting take out could include scrambled eggs - eggs are relatively inexpensive and cook up fast. Get the whole family involved making salads and you're good to go.

I like to keep some ready ingredients on hand, because it's easy to throw together food when I have chick peas or beans, rice, baked potatoes, and more already cooked and in the fridge waiting! Having bread and rolls in the freezer helps a LOT too. A bit of prep on Sunday can take us through till Wednesday so we don't have a crisis.

What tricks do you have that help you stay out of the take-out trap? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Meatless Meal ideas (Summer friendly)

Summer friendly means NO THICK SOUPS, although in general I think they make the perfect meal. It's just too hot for them right now!

So here are some ideas to help us get through these hot summer days - and the Nine Days too!

Pasta night

Sloppy Sams and sweet corn

Black Bean Burgers with all the fixin's

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and a salad

Tuna Patties with baked potatoes

Stir Fried Veggies with cashews or tofu (and rice)

Chick Pea Fritters and a salad

Breakfast for Supper

Pareve Quiche and fresh rolls and salad

Black Bean Salad and Corn Bread 

What are your favorite meatless meals for the summer?

Shabbat & Shavuot menu planning

This year, Shavuot falls out on right after Shabbat, so we have a 2-day "chag" of sorts.

I am not planning to cook on Chag - it is way too hot to leave an oven on!

So everything needs to be cooked in advance and either served cold or warmed on a platta.




Here's the plan:

Friday night - we were invited out, but due to my pet allergy, we're providing the table while our guests are bringing the food.

Shabbat lunch, us plus a family of 8:

Homemade Spelt and Oat challot
vegetarian liver
chumus
various salads
Oven fried chicken
Potato Kugel
Corn Bread
Quinoa with black lentils

Shavuot Night:

Homemade Challah
Fruit Soup
Lettuce salad
Roasted vegetables (whatever I get a good deal on)
Cheesy lasagna
Vegan, GF lasagna

Shavuot lunch:

Challah rolls
Salads
Salmon with lemon and herbs (served cold) (note: I got a great deal on salmon at some point and put it in the freezer!)
Broccoli Kugel
Sweet Potato Kugel
Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Fruit Soup

Desserts: Watermelon, other fruit, chocolate - crispy rice squares

Snacks: banana-coconut cake, popcorn, fruit sorbet, ice cream...

Menu Plan for the week

Quick! It's Monday night and I was at a complete loss for what food to make. 


That's because I never planned my menu this week. So I must make up for it now. (Better late than never?)

Sunday night - we were out

Monday night - Pasta with cheese, roasted kishuim

Tuesday night - Sloppy Sams, fresh dinner rolls, corn on the cob 

Wednesday night - Scrambled eggs, Whatever veggies need to be used up, ??

Thursday night - clean out the fridge night

Lunches will be rice and lentils, corn bread, salads, and whatever else we manage to quickly assemble on any given day.

Phew, now I won't be staring at ingredients on a shelf wondering what on earth we're going to EAT?!

Menu for the week

This week's menu is going to be variations on the theme "Easy" - I seem to have a lot to do this week besides my regular routine (that already keeps me quite busy).

Lunches will be soups and pasta and sandwiches and whatever veggies we have on hand.

Suppers:

Sunday: Mushroom barley stew, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, cut veggies

Monday: Shabbat leftovers

Tuesday: Split Pea Soup, Roasted Vegetable Casserole

Wednesday: Scrambled eggs, Salad, Baked Potatoes

Thursday: Anything left from the week

Looks like Thursday I have a whole bunch of cooking and baking to do - we may be hosting a siyum/kiddush this Shabbat (local friends who read my blog, take note!)! If it happens, I will try to post my plan for that too!

Shabbat Menu

It's Thursday night again, and that means I have to put up my challah dough - I've found that Spelt Challah really works better when it rises overnight.
For those of you who are wondering why I've been making spelt challah even though spelt flour is so much more expensive than wheat flour - I guess I owe you some sort of explanation!

For years I maintained that I wouldn't jump on the spelt bandwagon because it is so much more costly than wheat flour. Really, I'm paying about 3 times as much for whole spelt flour right now (13 shekels/kg) than I used to pay for whole wheat flour (abour 4 or 4.5 shekels/kg). So it's not that it's a frugal move. It's just that I discovered that when I stopped eating wheat, my thyroid started working better - prior to that switch, my thyroid was being chronically sluggish, and I was feeling the effects of that. 6 weeks after I stopped eating wheat, I had a bunch of bloodwork done, and lo and behold, my thyroid was back to functioning normally! AND I felt so much better - my energy came back! So, while it's not always a frugal move to buy spelt flour for baking, in this case, I think it actually is, as it's keeping me from going on daily thyroid medication!

And with that in mind, here's my Shabbat menu:
(You can find our favorite Shabbat recipes by clicking here)

Whole Spelt and Oat Challah 
Vegetable Soup
Roast Chicken
Stir Fried Tofu for the vegetarian kid
Brown Rice
Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli
Lettuce Salad with Honey-Cinnamon Oranges
Black Bean Cholent for Lunch 
Baked Apples for dessert

What's on your menu this week? I'd love to hear!

Shabbat Menu

Quick! It's late Friday morning and I need to figure out my Shabbat menu!

Here's what I've figured out so far:





Dessert: Chocolate Chip Squares

Spelt/Oat Challot: From the freezer

Black Bean Cholent with Vegetarian Kishke (the kishke is from the freezer) (for Shabbat Lunch)

Random Side Dishes From the Freezer

Roast Chicken over Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

Vegetable Soup (for Friday Night)

Salad: Lettuce with honey-cinnamon oranges, Israeli Salad

For seudah shlishit we'll have random things, like egg salad and crackers and fruit

Ok, looks manageable, I think! Now I'm off to get the cooking underway and get the house ready for Shabbat!

Shabbat Shalom!

Menu for the week

Ok, I guess I should admit that I only get around to planning my menu for the week on Sunday night. AFTER I've had to scrounge around for something to feed the family for supper! One day I will learn to move the planning time up a bit...

We're still fighting off colds here, it seems to be cycling through the whole family...

So here's the plan, and it's really got to be low-intensity cooking this week. I'm already under the weather and just need to get some rest (and my morale was just destroyed by the latest horrific terrorist attack, I just can't stop thinking about it):

Sunday night: Vegetable soup and Pasta

Monday night: Split Pea Soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, cut vegetables

Tuesday night: Vegetable Soup, Rice, Scrambled eggs, ??

Wednesday night: Minestrone Soup, garlic bread

Thursday night: Whatever is left


Lunches? who knows. Maybe the kids won't be hungry? Somehow, I'm sure we'll figure it out. They can always boil up some pasta...

Shabbat Menu Planning Time

It's the end of the week, again! Can't believe it? You are not alone, neither can I! It's crazy how the days just keep slipping past! 

And winter has crept up on us, too. Some people are even saying it will snow here on Friday night. Honestly, I don't mind if it snows on a Friday night -- As long as we don't lose power! (Because if the power goes out, I think my cholent will be ruined...)

So keeping in mind the cold we're looking at, we want to make sure to have a warm, enjoyable Shabbat. Friday night we're having some friends join us. Here's the plan:

Homemade Whole Spelt and Oat Bran Challot
Vegetable Soup
Vegetarian Liver, Homemade Chumus, Cut-Veggie Platter, Pickles and Olives
Other salads if I get to them
Oven Fried Chicken
Black-Eyed Peas (there's been a bag in my pantry for a really long time now!)
Roasted Cauliflower
Potato Kugel
Apple Crisp
For lunch, I'm putting up a Black Bean Cholent and we'll have whatever is left from Friday night. 

I've got some bananas waiting to be used, so I'll make banana-coconut chocolate chip cake and popcorn for snacking!

Menu for the week!

Hi everyone, it's that time again. The time on a Sunday when I wonder what I should make for supper... and then I realize it's time to make a menu for the week so I don't do this every day! It's so much easier for me to feed my family when my menu is already planned out! That way I can go about my day, and when I need to cook, I just cook! Without having to rummage thru the freezer and pantry and wonder what to make. Instead, I do all that rummaging on Sunday at some point and then I plan out my menu based on what I see I have (or what I plan to buy).

So, here's the plan:

Sunday night: Black Bean and Tomato Soup, Quick Garlic Bread

Monday night: Shabbat Leftovers

Tuesday night: Split Pea Soup, ???

Wednesday night: Steamed or roasted veggies, Macaroni and Cheese

Thursday night: Scrambled eggs, ???

OH MY. I really haven't figured out my menu very well. I guess it will be ok, there are always going to be days when I don't feel inspired to cook, and I guess this is just one of them. It doesn't help that there are hardly any vegetables in the house, I think! If I pick up some vegetables tomorrow, maybe I'll be more inspired and I'll update this menu. (Watch this space for updates!) 

And now, I'm off to bake some muffins with those bananas I threw into the fridge before Shabbat so they wouldn't get moldy!

Menu for the Week

I'm trying to get a handle on the week ahead of me - it's going to be a little - no, a lot - busy.  There is so much going on - here's a sampling of it: Our youngest daughter is turning 8, we have multiple playdates arranged besides all of the usual afternoon activities, and my son's programming chugim (which he runs out of our home for local children) are beginning. Oh and we're making a kiddush this coming Shabbat to celebrate our daughter's completion of Mishnayot Seder Nashim, and a few more things!

So I'm a little overwhelmed and even feeling anxious about the week ahead, and the best way to conquer that feeling is to Make A Plan.

So here's the plan:

Food will be very simple food during the week - lunches will be sandwiches and vegetables or leftovers.

Suppers:
Sunday: Rice, lentil patties, fresh vegetables
Monday: Grilled Cheese sandwiches and Soup
Tuesday: Baked Ziti and lettuce salad
Wednesday: Oven fries, Black bean burgers on fresh rolls
Thursday: Birthday meal - not sure yet what

For the kiddush, I want to bake things earlier in the week.
Sunday - Bake 2 types of cakes
Monday - Bake brownies and cookies
Tuesday - Bake 2 types of cakes
Wednesday - Bake crackers and make chocolate-peanut butter crispy rice cereal squares
Thursday - Bake challah and cook (simply) for Shabbat
Friday - make chumus, egg salad, eggplant salad, etc for kiddush, prep veggies and fruits for veg. and fruit platters... and whatever else needs to be done for the kiddush and Shabbat!

What's going on in your house this week?

Menu Planning for the Week!

It's that time again - the new week has begun and you realize that if you don't start to make a plan for how to get it through the week smoothly, you're sure you won't.

While I can't help you squeeze in all the errands, appointments, work, playdates, and all, I can tell you my menu plan!

Menu planning makes my life run smoother because instead of drawing a blank and saying, "uh oh, I have no supper!", I can check my plan and get my family fed. Most of my meals are simple and don't require TOO much prep time. Once in a while I need to remember something a bit further in advance, but that's why it's good to check the night before too!

So here is the plan (suppers)

Sunday: Vegetable soup, Baked Ziti, Salad

Monday: Shabbat Leftovers

Tuesday: Fresh dinner rolls with sloppy sams, rice, steamed kishuim

Wednesday: Tuna patties, broiled eggplant slices, baked potatoes/baked sweet potatoes, make-your-own-salad,

Thursday: Rice, black bean crumbles in tomato sauce, some cooked vegetables (not sure what we'll have in the house then!)

Lunches will be leftovers, sandwiches, and salads

What's YOUR plan?