Summer menu Archives - Eat at Home

Real Life and Meal Planning – New Plans for May 20

May 19, 2013 by Tiffany

I actually shopped with a real, printed grocery list this week! After several weeks of not using the Weekly Meal Plans due to recipe development, crazy schedules and traveling family members, it was good to get back to shopping with a plan.

I chose the Traditional Plan for May 13, since I did my shopping for that week. And we stuck pretty close to the menu too.

I shopped on Saturday. Have I ever mentioned that I’m a speed shopper? Especially in the grocery store, I don’t waste any time. I grab that cart and I’m off! If I can get through Walmart and home again in about an hour, I feel like I’ve really won.

Saturday evening, there were just two of us home at dinner time. I knew others would be coming in later though, so I grilled 8 burgers. We had sweet potato fries with them. It tasted so good, like summertime.

Sunday was Mother’s Day. Jim talked about taking us out to dinner, but our youngest daughter started running a fever on Saturday night. And honestly, restaurants are pure craziness on Mother’s Day anyway. I decided to make Crockpot Chicken Fajitas, but instead of using the crockpot I used my cast iron Dutch oven. One of these days soon, I’m going to do a post on this pot. I got it in December and I love it! Best of all, it didn’t cost an arm and a leg. I got a deal at Walmart.

I also wanted to make guacamole to go with dinner, but the avocados weren’t ripe yet. So I googled “how to ripen an avocado fast” and came up with a method for doing so in the oven. Chalk that up to too-good-to-be-true. It didn’t work and we ran past the store after church for riper avocados.

There was a frost warning on Sunday night, so we had to tuck the strawberry plants under covers.

On Monday, I grilled chicken tenders outside. I grilled a whole 3lb. bag and froze the extra. I love having cooked meat in the freezer. It makes cooking so much faster. I did a quick no-time-marinade, and doused the frozen chicken with Italian dressing before grilling.

We took a walk after dinner. It was beautiful outside!

The grill ran out of gas just as the chicken was finished cooking. Perfect timing!

Tuesday, I battled a migraine. Yuck. We had an easy dinner of mac & cheese and steamed broccoli. I also created a new ice cream recipe Tuesday afternoon that I can’t wait to share with you. Look for it this Wednesday.

Wednesday, my son reminded me that it was youth group night. Normally, my oldest son drives them to church, but he’s been in NYC this week. So it was up to either Jim or me to do the driving this time. This also made me realize that I’m losing my driver for next year. My son, who just graduated will be living at home. But he won’t be going the same places as my younger son any more. I’ll be back to chauffeuring and finding carpools.

I’m writing this post on Wednesday evening and I haven’t decided what we’ll eat yet. It will either be Garlic Lime Tilapia or Enchiladas.

Thursday is laundry and packing day. And Friday, I’m off to Walt Disney World for the Food Blog Forum Conference! A long weekend in one of my favorite places with some food blogger friends sounds fun to me!

Here’s a sneak peek at this week’s meal plans. You can find out more about how to get them delivered to your inbox by clicking here.

Traditional Plan

Homemade Baked Beans in the Slow Cooker with hot dogs
Grilled sandwiches
Pepper Jack Mac and Cheese
Peanut chicken
Pork Lettuce Wraps
Spanish Steak and Onions with roasted potatoes and asparagus (steak marinated in sliced onions, vinegar, and olive oil)
Frozen Mocha Marble Loaf

All Slow Cooker Plan

Garlic Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
Homemade Baked Beans in the Slow Cooker with hot dogs
Sweet and Sour Pork Chops in the Slow Cooker
Easy Meatball Subs
Pesto Tomato Ravioli (using cooking method from Ravioli in the Slow Cooker)
Cube Steaks and Gravy in the Slow Cooker
Lemon Cheesecake Dessert

Filed under: Menus, Summer menu Tagged with grocery list, meal plans, Menus, weekly meal plan1 Comment

Free Weekly Menu + Grocery List – Year 3 Week 42

September 9, 2012 by Tiffany

We’ve had a lovely weekend. I hope that you have too.

A few notes about the menu this week:

- If it’s not nice enough to grill the chicken, you can bake it in the oven, use an indoor grill or put it in the slow cooker.

- All of these meals are quick and easy. Some of my favorite recipes are featured this week.

Here’s what is on the menu this week:

Grilled chicken with Lemon Juice & Garlic Freezer Marinade, Orange Curry Couscous, favorite green veggie

Mediterranean Chicken in the Slow Cooker, angel hair pasta, salad

Tony’s Tilapia, baked potatoes, Asian Broccoli Salad

Pepperoni Pizza Pasta, salad

Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice

Nachos, salad

Easy Pumpkin Pecan Sticky Rolls

To print, click here: menu year 3 week 42

Filed under: Menus, Summer menu Tagged with grocery list, menu2 Comments

Free Weekly Menu + Grocery List Year 3 Week 40

August 26, 2012 by Tiffany

We spent the weekend at a soccer tournament in Cedarville, Ohio. We had a great time watching the boys play and visiting with friends. Jim’s parents were able to come down to watch too. They braved the heat on Saturday with us.

In case you are near Cedarville, you need to know about a little ice cream place called Mom and Dad’s. It’s directly across the street from the campus entrance. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may have seen a picture from this place. They have 24+ soft serve flavors! We sampled English Toffee, Cappuccino and Grape (my youngest daughters choice). Fun stuff and totally worth the visit.

The menu this week has several recipes that can be doubled and stashed in the freezer. The Mini Deep Dish Pizzas and 50s Prime Time Meatloaf are both candidates for stocking up.

As always, you get 6 dinners and 1 dessert on the menu. Serving suggestions are included in bold on the recipes and in curly brackets {} on the grocery list.

Here’s what’s on the menu this week:

Sweet ‘n Smokey Salmon, baked sweet potatoes, favorite green veggie

Mini Deep Dish Pizzas, salad

Ravioli with Red Onion, White Wine and Asiago, salad

Maple Apple Chicken in the Slow Cooker, favorite green veggie, Cornbread Muffins

Chicken Tortilla Soup, salad

50s Prime Time Meatloaf, baked potatoes, green veggie

Coconut Pie with Rum Sauce

To print, click here: menu year 3 week 40

Filed under: Menus, Summer menu Tagged with Crockpot, grocery list, menu, slow cooker1 Comment

Menu, Grocery List, Recipes – Year 3 Week 38

August 12, 2012 by Tiffany

School starts this week for us. This marks the 16th year that I’ve geared up for homeschooling.

It’s so much easier now that I just have kids in 4th, 8th and 12th grades. My son who is a senior is taking a couple of dual enrollment classes at the community college, so my teaching responsibilities with him are few. And my oldest daughter is starting her junior year at UK.

The hardest year for me (aside from every time we added a new baby to the family) was the year I had one in preschool, grade school, middle school and high school. I just felt a little spread thin that year trying to meet such a variety of needs.

I can’t say that we’ve done it all perfectly for the past 15 years (far from it!), but the journey has been worth it.

For all of us getting back into the school schedule – whether it’s public, private, home, college, etc. – many prayers for a year of adventures learning together.

One of my biggest helps during the school year, is printing the weekly menu and grocery list. No planning required and I know what dinner is going to be all week. I’ve also been training my oldest son to do the grocery shopping for me. He’s pretty good at it!

Here’s what is on the menu this week:

African Pulled Beef Sandwiches in the Slow Cooker with Yogurt Mint Sauce, Roasted Sweet & White Potatoes, watermelon

Honey Lemon Pepper Salmon, Garlic Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes, favorite green veggie

Chicken and Broccoli “Stir Fry” in the Slow Cooker, rice

Garden Frittata, Blueberry Muffins with Orange Glaze, fresh fruit

Enchiladas with Chili-Tomato Sauce, salad, chips & salsa

BBQ Chicken with Southwestern Cornbread Stuffing, favorite green veggie

Coconut Cream and Chocolate Dessert

To print, click here: menu year 3 week 38

Filed under: Menus, Summer menu Tagged with grocery list, menu, summerLeave a Comment

Menu, Grocery List, Recipes Year 3 Week 37

August 5, 2012 by Tiffany

I’ve started publishing the weekly menus on Sunday nights now instead of Monday morning. When I asked on Facebook, the consensus was Sunday is a better day for menu planning.

I really like the menu this week. There are a couple of slow cooker meals and a variety of other dinners to keep things interesting, but still easy. And the cake! Oh my goodness! There’s nothing better you can do with zucchini. If a dessert involves cream cheese frosting, count me in.

Here’s what is on the menu this week:

Skillet Chicken, Peppers and Tomatoes, couscous cooked in chicken broth, salad

Smoky Chipotle Chicken Tacos in the Slow Cooker, chips & salsa, Guacamole

Hashbrown Casserole with Ham in the Slow Cooker, favorite green veggie

Asian Salmon on the Grill, Roasted Broccoli and Red Peppers, Microwave Corn on the Cob

Grilled Chicken with a Lazy Marinade, Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing, Graham Muffins

Easy Meatball Subs, salad

Zucchini Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

To print, click here: menu year 3 week 37

Don’t forget the Back to School Boost for Moms sale – only available through Wednesday!

Filed under: Menus, Summer menu Tagged with grocery list, menu, shopping list2 Comments

Menu, Grocery List, Recipes Year 3 Week 36

July 29, 2012 by Tiffany

I spent last week at the beach with my family and took a little blogging break. We had a great time together enjoying the ocean and eating. I’ve shared before how my mom makes and freezes almost all of our food, then packs it on dry ice.

The amount of food that 12 people can eat in a week is astounding. I guess we were all hungry from the sun and water play. In addition to all the dinner foods mom made, we also ate 2 cakes, 3 batches of cookies and 10 (yes, 10!) 1.5 qt. containers of ice cream.

In defense of the family, we do have 3 teenage boys. And my husband managed to get 100 miles of bike riding in during the week too, so there were lots of calories that needed replenished.

This week’s menu:

I think you’re going to like this menu. It includes several slow cooker meals and a few meals that are quick to make. I’m loving the slow cooker beans. They are great to have in the freezer ready to go for fast lunches or dinners.

As always, you get 6 dinners and 1 dessert. Serving suggestions are included in bold on the recipes and in curly brackets {} on the grocery list.

Here’s what is on the menu this week:

Slow Cooker Beans for the Freezer (Refried w/out the Refry), tortillas and fixings

Chicken Florentine Pizza, salad

Bowties with Italian Sausage and Bell Peppers, salad

Pork Chops topped with Pineapple, Green Pepper and Onion, baked sweet potatoes, favorite green veggie

Baked Chicken and Summer Vegetables in the Slow Cooker, angel hair pasta, salad

Whole Chicken in the Slow Cooker, sliced tomatoes, corn on the cob, watermelon

No-Bake Cappuccino Pie

To print, click here: menu year 3 week 36

Filed under: Menus, Slow cooker menu, Summer menu Tagged with grocery list, menu, slow cooker, summer mealsLeave a Comment

Menu, Grocery List, Recipes Year 3 Week 35

July 22, 2012 by Tiffany

This week I’ve got a couple of slow cooker meals for you, plus a meal that will fill your freezer for quick lunches or dinners.

As always, you get 6 dinners and 1 dessert. Serving suggestions are included in bold on the recipes and curly brackets on the grocery list.

Here’s what is on the menu this week:

Crab Cakes with Creamy Sauce, Corn on the Cob, Oven Fried Potatoes

Southwestern Steak with Cornbread Dressing in the Slow Cooker, favorite veggie

Teriyaki BBQ Chicken Legs in the Slow Cooker, Hawaiian Cole Slaw, favorite veggie

Red Beans and Rice with Ham, salad

Broccoli, Tomato, Tortellini Salad, Cornbread Muffins

Black Bean and Rice Freezer Burritos, salad, chips and salsa

S’mores Pie

To print, click here: menu year 3 week 35

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Menu, Grocery List, Recipes – Year 3 Week 34

July 15, 2012 by Tiffany

I hope you had a great weekend. We got some much needed rain over the weekend. Things are looking greener and I think there might be hope that the small trees in our yard will live. All the leaves turned brown, but there’s evidence of new growth now.

This week’s menu includes some re-purposed leftovers. Grill BBQ Ham Steaks one day and use the leftovers to make Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice.

As always, you get 6 dinners and 1 dessert. Serving suggestions are included in bold on the recipes and in curly brackets {} on the grocery list.

Pizza Steak Sandwiches in the Slow Cooker, Cucumbers and Onions, french fries

BBQ Ham Steak on the Grill, Microwave Corn on the Cob, Hoe Cakes

Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice, watermelon

Chicken Enchiladas, salad, chips & salsa

Steak Burgers with Red Wine Onions, Fresh Green Beans, baked potatoes (fix in slow cooker)

Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce with Two Cheeses over Ravioli, salad

No Bake Peanut Butter Fluff Pie

To print, click here: menu year 3 week 34

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Menu, Grocery List, Recipes – Year 3 Week 33 – Lots of slow cooker meals

July 8, 2012 by Tiffany

By popular demand (according to a quick survey on the EaH Facebook page), I’m now publishing new menus on Sunday nights instead of Monday mornings!

This menu has a lot of slow cooker meals to keep things simple and your kitchen cool.

A couple of notes:

- Make the Zesty Chicken before you make Hawaiian BBQ Sandwiches and you can use leftover chicken instead of grilled chicken for the sandwiches. Or put the extra chicken in the freezer to have for casseroles at another time.

- One pineapple should be enough for both the Hawaiian BBQ Sandwiches and the Grilled Pineapple Dessert. Or you can use pineapple rings for the sandwiches.

Here’s what is on the menu this week:

Baked Chicken with Summer Vegetables in the Slow Cooker, angel hair, salad

Salsa Verde Steak in the Slow Cooker, tortillas & fixings, chips and salsa

Ravioli in the Slow Cooker, salad, garlic bread

Hawaiian BBQ Sandwiches, fresh fruit, French fries

Veggie Pie, fresh fruit

Zesty Crockpot Chicken with Couscous, favorite veggie

Grilled Pineapple Dessert

To print, click here: menu year 3 week 33

This menu is part of Menu Plan Monday at The Organizing Junkie.

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Menu, Grocery List, Recipes Year 3 Week 32

July 1, 2012 by Tiffany

I think you’re going to like this menu. It’s got some really good dishes and they are all fast too. Some are super fast. That’s the way I like my cooking to be.
As always, you get 6 dinners and 1 dessert. Serving suggestions are included in bold on the recipes and in curly brackets {} on the grocery list.