Meal Planning Wednesday?

Yesterday I completed my last final this semester. Between working on finals and chaperoning school trips, I got behind on everything! I did get my hoop house completed for the garden, but I'm still waiting out this cold spell before I put anything out. Currently, my kitchen is half food prep area and half greenhouse. Hopefully I'll be able to get everything out this weekend. I also hope to figure out getting pictures from the camera to the blog.

I mostly stuck to my plan for the last couple of weeks, but did give in to convenience and pick up pizza or take-out a couple of times.

Here's this week's menu.

Monday: Beef Stew and Biscuits

Tuesday: French Onion Soup I made beef stock this weekend and J brought home a giant bag of Vidalia onions from the Shriners

Wednesday: Chicken Pot Pie

Thursday: Apple Stuffed French Toast

Friday: Pork Chops, Rice Pilaf and Veg

Saturday: Minestrone (didn't get to it last week, still need to use the vegies)

Sunday: Potluck BBQ with friends

Rice pilaf is a stand by in my menu planning. I buy big bags o Jasmine Rice when I'm in Denver and everyone loves it. Here's my rice pilaf recipe. I adapted it from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe, but replaced bullion cubes and always use fragrant, jasmine rice instead of long grain white rice. It's a great way to use up extra vegetables.

Melt 2 TBS of butter in a medium saucepan. Add about 1 cup of any combination of diced vegetables. I usually use carrot, shallot or onion, celery, bell pepper, and mushrooms, depending on what I have in the fridge. I love garlic, so I add 1 or 2 cloves of diced garlic. Saute vegies until they start to soften. Add 3/4 cups rice to the pan and saute 1-2 minutes then add

1 1/2 cups chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 20- 30 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Sometimes I have to add extra broth if the liquid cooks away before the rice is tender. Fluff with a fork. I don't add salt to many things in the kitchen. If you prefer things a bit saltier, add salt with the broth.