weekly menus

I come from a family where dinner wasn't even guaranteed, much less planned. Some nights because of mom's crazy work schedule, and between girl scouts, softball or field hockey, riding lessons, and family or church events, we really had to fend for ourselves (which is why today I can make just about any meal from just about anything that we have in the pantry, and why my sister would live off of hot pockets and ramen noodles if she had the choice). So when I got married and we had little to live off of, I learned the importance of a well-stocked pantry and a little advance planning. Now, I don't pretend to be perfect as far as this goes...sometimes the pantry's missing a few key items, and most of the time I don't plan meals too far in advance, but I do try to keep some staples on hand at all times. Some of these include:

• frozen chicken tenderloins
• frozen fish fillets
• flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, yeast
• cake mix (you can make just about anything from cake mix, from cookies and cakes to desserts)
• jello and pudding mix
• bisquick
• rice
• various pastas
• chicken stock
• dried and fresh herbs and spices
• frozen veggies (broccoli, spinach, mixed veggies, asparagus) and fruits (blueberries, strawberries, papaya pulp, and anything that'll keep well frozen)
• beer (not for drinking, but for beer bread, marinating, sauces, etc.)
• wine (for cooking, as above, and enjoying with meals)
• salsa
• margarine and butter
• soymilk (dh won't drink regular milk, but I keep the powdered for emergencies)
• coffee, tea, water
• Fat free half and half
• fresh carrots, potatoes, peppers, onions, bananas, apples, oranges, and occasionally snap or snow peas
• tortillas (flour), and tortilla chips
• cheese (cheddar and mozzarella)
• quick oats
• peanut butter and jams, jellies and marmalade
• various juices (apple, orange, cranberry, etc.)
• canned pasta sauce, beans and veggies, for moments of laziness, emergencies, or the apocalypse

These are just the things that I like to ALWAYS keep in the house. From this I can make a variety of full, nutritious meals, anything from smoothies to pierogies with onions, to arroz con pollo, to chicken pot pie, to quesadillas, to stir fry or just plain mac and cheese, which is always better from scratch anyway.

On occasion, I'll buy a whole chicken and make roast chicken, then use the leftovers for stock and soup, or perhaps I'll pick up a roast on sale but we usually don't eat too much red meat. But having a well-stocked pantry and a back-up freezer in the basement means that I usually am blessed enough to have quite a few staples that I can use to plan menus in advance when I've got the time and ambition. Since dh and I are still recovering from Las Vegas this weekend, there are several shows coming up in the next two weeks, and I've got a ton of spring cleaning left to do, a little planning may go a long way in reducing time spent food shopping and in the kitchen (that could be spent elsewhere).

For dinners this week I'm thinking:

• Monday- Leftover chicken noodle soup with toast and salad (since dh has a meeting in the city until late and I need to hit the gym, get a haircut and pick up the dog)
• Tuesday- Black bean soup with beer bread (then dh has early band practice)
• Wednesday-Spinach raviolis in homemade veggie sauce, with broccoli and some good wine
• Thursday-Quick but filling fruit smoothies with bananas, strawberries, blueberries and cranberry juice, with 1/2 PB&J (before show in Manhattan, load time 6)
• Friday-Cajun catfish, jambalaya
• Saturday-Sweet & Sour chicken stir fry over brown rice, orange segments
• Sunday-Chicken quesadillas, salad, sorbet

Now, this will probably change over the course of the week, but we need to plan for fish & no dessert on Friday (Lent), and quick meals for nights when there is band practice or a show, and most importantly, for not having to pick anything up at the grocery store last minute-it can really be a waste of money!

Two other, more important menus that need some planning are the Easter menu and the menu for my parents' vow renewal, which I'll be catering. Easter is easier to plan (and harder to carry out) because we do a traditional Ukrainian/Polish meal with homemade babka and pierogi, Easter ham, blueberry cake, and an assortment of pies, cakes, pastries, breads, and vegetables. I'm a little at a loss as far as what to make for the vow renewal, as I'll have limited kitchen space in the rented shore house, little time, and an incredibly limited budget to stretch to feed 40-50 people. Right now I'm thinking trays of antipasta with mozzarella, Italian deli meats, marinated mushrooms and artichokes, breads with spinach and artichoke dips and things like that as far as appetizers, and then trays of ziti, shrimp scampi over linguine, eggplant rollatini...and that's where it stops, because I have no idea where to go from there. As far as dessert, there'll be wedding cake (my aunt is having her friend make a replica of the original cake from the wedding in 1984), but I don't even know what else to serve it with, except maybe some nice fresh fruit salad. Any suggestions would be more than welcome at this point!