Menu Plan Monday

I am so psyched. We actually sat down as a family last night and planned the menu, and not for just one week. No sir. I have 2, count'em, 2 weeks worth of menu planning done!! Woo Hoo! I'm only posting one week though. Have to give you something to look forward to, don't I?

Before I get to the menu, I have to share some garden news with you all. The Misses and I started volunteering in a community garden back in the spring. This garden is totally manned by volunteers who share the produce. Whatever the volunteers cannot use is donated to a local food bank. The garden has now been planted with the fall/winter crops, and the last of the summer stuff is coming out. I took advantage of the opportunity to get some sweet potatoes this past weekend, and wanted to share the wealth.

The soda can is in the picture for reference. These are some seriously big sweet potatoes! I peeled, cut up and boiled the lot and ended up with about 15 cups of mashed sweet potatoes.
This is SO how I want to fill my freezer. Next stop for these bad boys is some sweet potato pie!

If you would like to help support community gardens across the US, please visit eSeeds to send a message out to your buddies. When you do this, Woodbridge Wines will donate $1 to the American Community Garden Association.

Now, for the menu ...

Monday - Swiss Steak (see last week's post for the recipe)

Tuesday - Mac'n cheese and Ham

Wednesday - Nuggets and fries (Daddy will be out for dinner so we're doing it the easy way)

Thursday - Chicken picatta, bowtie pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese, peas

Friday - leftovers - BBQ sandwiches

Saturday - Coq au vin (recipe below)

Sunday - Ham, salad, pasta for the kids

Monday - lasagna, salad

I hope you are all enjoying your week. If you are needing a little inspiration for your menu, please visit OrgJunkie.

Coq au Vin (365 Favorite Brand Slow Cooker Recipes and More)

4 slices thick cut bacon

2 cups frozen pearl onions

1 cup sliced button mushrooms

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

1/8 tsp black pepper

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts halves (about 2 pounds)

1/2 cup dry red wine

3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup tomato paste

3 tbsp all purpose flour

Cook bacon in medium skillet over medium heat. Drain and crumble. Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the following order: onions, bacon, mushrooms, garlic, thyme, pepper, chicken, wine, and broth. Cover and cook on LOW 6-8 hours.

Remove chicken and vegetables; cover and keep warm. Ladle 1/2 cup cooking liquid into small bowl; allow to cool slightly. Turn slow cooker to HIGH; cover. Mix reserved liquid, tomato paste and flour until smooth. Return to slow cooker; cover and cook 15 minutes or until thickened. Serve over egg noodles if desired.