Menu Plan Monday – March 17

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Hope you will be celebrating with some wonderful green vegetables today.

Photo: Getting a sneak peak of new offerings at a local restaurant. This bowl of pho was outstanding - such depth to the broth. Perfect for a chilly day. #yum

Friday, I got to go to a local Chinese restaurant, House of Lu, and taste test a new menu item, pho! I adore a good bowl of pho and unfortunately where I live there isn’t anywhere close by to eat it – we usually have to drive at least 30 minutes to find a decent bowl. Well, that should all be changing in a few months when this restaurant completes its renovations. I’m very excited for the transformation it is undergoing. I had a wonderful conversation with the owners, who are as nice as can be and passionate about what they are doing. I love to support local restaurants and happy that we have an authentic option close by for Chinese and soon Vietnamese food.

I am taking a new approach to menu planning on my website. Well, the actual process is still the same, I’m just going to start laying it out differently for you all to see. I have found that the sweet spot for me in preparing meals during the week is cooking 4 times per week. You may have noticed that is my general aim every week. The other 3 nights we may be eating leftovers, re-purposing the leftovers into something slightly different, eating simply out of what is on hand or eating out (usually once per week). I don’t find it realistic or necessary to cook more often. I buy a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as frozen vegetables every week to supplement what we are having or so that I can change things up when the mood strikes.

Here is what I’ve planned for the week, plus fresh fruit (cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi and oranges):

Meal 1: Corned Beef with Cabbage and Potatoes (C looks forward to this every year!)

Meal 2: Slow Cooker Rotisserie-Style Chicken with Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts

Meal 3: Pesto Baked Salmon (rub with olive oil, Italian spices and topwith pesto) with Freekeh and Roasted Asparagus

Meal 4:  Pinto Beans and Rice with Broccoli

Have a wonderful week. For more menu planning ideas, go to Menu Plan Monday on I’m an Organizing Junkie!

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