OK, I need a little inspiration. What are you cooking for supper tonight?

-- connie in NM (karrelandconnie@juno.com), January 24, 2001

Answers

Soup. Vegetable soup. I'm trying to lose five pounds...

-- Joe (jcole@apha.com), January 24, 2001.

What a surprize to see this post. You might get a little inspiration from the thread I just put on while you were posting this one. As for tonight since I don't feel well, we're have fried home canned potatoes with onions and eggs and home canned chunky applesauce and Gary will have sausage.

-- Cindy (SE IN.) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), January 24, 2001.

Well, if I can think this far in advance(kinda a fly by the seat of my pants type woman!) My Mom is coming to see us. She lives 200 miles away and doesn't cook much anymore. We will be putting on the dog tonight(for you city slickers, that is not to be taken literally!). We are going to have roast with carrots, onions, potatoes, cooked in onion soup mix, homemade hot rolls, green salad straight out of the cold frame, iced tea, and probably won't have room for dessert! If we have dessert, it will be vanilla icecream with fresh frozen strawberries on it! My husband can always find room for that! Tomorrow will be stew with leftovers!~ HaHa I actually planned a day in advance!!!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), January 24, 2001.

This is so funny because I had thought to ask the same question a few days ago, but haven't had much time to get on lately. I try to plan what I'm having the night before (read it in the Tightwad Gazette and it made a lot of sense, because you can thaw, soak etc... ahead of time) Many people I know decide on their way home from work and stop at the store to BUY it. So planning ahead saves money and aggravation in the long run. Sorry for the speech, but it is one of my favorite subjects (Food that is !!!) Tonight we are having fried trout, baked sweet potatoes, a big salad, corn bread, iced herbal tea, and lemon pudding for dessert.

-- Melissa (cmnorris@1st.net), January 24, 2001.

This is so funny because I had thought to ask the same question a few days ago, but haven't had much time to get on lately. I try to plan what I'm having the night before (read it in the Tightwad Gazette and it made a lot of sense, because you can thaw, soak etc... ahead of time) Many people I know decide on their way home from work and stop at the store to BUY it. So planning ahead saves money and aggravation in the long run. Sorry for the speech, but it is one of my favorite subjects (Food that is !!!) Tonight we are having fried trout, baked sweet potatoes, a big salad, corn bread, iced herbal tea, and lemon pudding for dessert. This is a fun thread.

-- Melissa (cmnorris@1st.net), January 24, 2001.

Venison burgers on the grill, potatoe salad and grilled corn. Can you tell I have spring fever?

-- Terri Perry (teperry@stargate.net), January 24, 2001.

I have been trying something new. I am starting my third month in Feb. I sit down with the family and say "what would you like me to cook over the next few weeks. They shout out faster than i can write. I usually have 20 or more when they are done and i fill in a few extra's to match the days in the month. Then i make a list of any little things i need at the store. I shop once a month and the rest comes out of the pantry or freezer.

It sounds like a lot of work , but it really is easy after you get used to it. No more "what's for dinner?", because they already know. I get more help in the kitchen and the variety is nice. I take the meat or what have you out the night before and place it in the frig. Lunches are left overs made into something new or soup i have canned or froze. That's if we remember to eat.

Tonight we are having a skillet with sausage, potatoes, green peppers, onions and corn. Yumm!!

-- Shau Marie (shau@centurytel.net), January 24, 2001.

I forgot someone on another thread gave a meal named country captain. Does anyone have the recipe?

-- Shau Marie (shau@centurytel.net), January 24, 2001.

Shau Marie, that sounds like a good plan. I think planning the meal's the hardest part of cooking. What's for supper? day after day afterday. AAAUUUGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!

-- Cindy (SE IN.) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), January 24, 2001.

leftover stew...throw everything in a pot and cook,its not to bad.

-- renee oneill{md.} (oneillsr@home.com), January 24, 2001.

My family says:"whatever you want!" Does anyone else have that trouble? I go to the store about every 6 to 8 weeks. I have a basement full of canned goods and 3 freezers full of food that we have grown or butchered! I go down to the basement every day at 3 or 4 and get creative! Since we have 273 packages of hamburger meat from a downed cow, we usually have that or chicken. Gotta be mighty creative with 273 packages of hamburger meat! I have tried the monthly planning before, but am a serious fly by the seat of my pantser(is that a word?) How do you make that meal planning work? I'd really like to be more organized!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), January 24, 2001.

We're having a new one tonight. It's called pork chops supreme. You put sliced potatoes and onions in the bottom of a crock pot, then pork chops, salt and pepper to taste and top off with cream of mushroom soup. Cook on low for 8 hrs. or high for 5-6 hrs. We'll also have some homemade bread and some frozen green beans from the summer. Sorry, no dessert tonight. We usually have desert on Sunday.

-- Denise (jphammock@msn.com), January 24, 2001.

We're having a new one tonight. It's called pork chops supreme. You put sliced potatoes and onions in the bottom of a crock pot, then pork chops, salt and pepper to taste and top off with cream of mushroom soup. Cook on low for 8 hrs. or high for 5-6 hrs. We'll also have some homemade bread and some frozen green beans from the summer. Sorry, no dessert tonight. We usually have dessert on Sunday.

-- Denise (jphammock@msn.com), January 24, 2001.

Nan this meal planning is new to me, but i don't want to be a slave to my list either. I have the freedom to change things if i want. My family figured out that if they don't speak up they don't get it. It has worked so far, but it's in the very early stages.

-- Shau Marie (shau@centurytel.net), January 24, 2001.

Shau Marie I actually started the month-at-a -time meal planning too and it is working out great. I made a list of meals I could think of to give them ideas and then they thought of their own favorites. I post the meals on the refrigerator like a calendar so husband and girls can see it. No more, "What's for supper?" All they have to do is look at the calendar. Tonight is some kind of chicken casserole -- not sure what yet. I'm hopeing to only go to the store once a month except to pick up milk, etc.. I got this idea from a woman I tutor at the local college.

-- connie in NM (karrelandconnie@juno.com), January 24, 2001.

I like planning meals ahead. I do it like Connie only on a weekly basis. I like having everything I need on hand and not having to think of something everyday.

-- Denise (jphammock@msn.com), January 24, 2001.

Yum.....everyone's making me hungry! We're having pan fried cubed pork(it' like the beef, but we like pork better), green beans, haven't decided on the starch, and made a homemade cocunut cream pie this afternoon. Think I'll start with the pie first!

-- Annie (mistletoe@earthlink.net), January 24, 2001.

Country cured ham slices, hash browns from day old mashed potatoes, lima beans flavored with honey and lemon, buscuits and redeye gravy from the ham.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), January 24, 2001.

Think I'll just print this out and keep IT on the fridge! YUM! Keep going I have about 3 weeks left!HAHA!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), January 24, 2001.

Tonight's a boring night- grilled steak, baked potatoes, broccoli, and homemade cheesecake for dessert.

I ask everyone at dinner what they want the next night. It works out fairly well. I don't mind cooking it's figuring out what to cook that drives me nuts.

Stacy Rohan

-- Stacy Rohan (KincoraFarm@aol.com), January 24, 2001.

BSTs. That's a bacon, SPINACH and tomato sandwich. Spinach from the cold frame beats lettuce from the store - better for you too!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), January 24, 2001.

Connie we have the same plan. I leave my list alittle vague, like i will say casserole/chicken. That way i can put whatever else needs to be used up in it. We should compare note and ideas. I am getting lots of ideas from this forum.

-- Shau Marie (shau@centurytel.net), January 24, 2001.

There is a neat cookbook out called "Once a Month Cooking". If you are a marathon cooker you can put quite a few meals in your freezer in a days time. My dil does this sometimes. I like to just make more than I know we will eat and freeze it for a day when I'm busy or just don't feel like cooking. I love to get new ideas about what to cook and I got quite a few from this forum. I tried the Sweet potatoe burritos, even went to the local mexican grocery and bought the brown mole, they were good but I don't know that I would list them as one of my favorites. I did cook a couple of things with tofu and they were both really good. I plan to order a case of tofu from the co-op because I can see where we will really add this to our diet. Soy is supposed to be really good for you. I have bought tofu in the past but the chickens have been the ones to eventually get it because I would just keep putting off fixing it.

I do better with meal planning if I will do just that..PLAN. A weekly menu is great and even if I change something on it at least I had something to change.

-- Artie Ann Karns (rokarns@arkansas.net), January 24, 2001.

A few helpful hints for once a month shoppping. Buy a big package(s) of ground meat. Make some into meatballs and/or meatloaf. Brown the other and season some with mexican seasoning and some with italian seasonings or whatever you like.Freeze in individual meal packages. Now you're ready for tacos, enchiladas, burritos, spaghetti, etc.. I also cook chicken and leave it on the bone and freeze it in meal size packages and freeze the broth too. Sure does come in handy. Oh, I cook and freeze pork sausage in small packages to use on our homemade pizzas (our usual Friday nite meal). I freeze all left-over vegetables all together in big containers and just add to them daily until they are full and then use them for soup. Another hint is to use a store-brand (cheaper) V-8 type juice in vegetable soup. Good flavor. Let's hear some more meal suggestions and tips!!!

-- connie in NM (karrelandconnie@juno.com), January 24, 2001.

At my house we have a left-over night. I re-heat all the left overs from the previous week, make a salad, heat some rolls or bread and call it good. We don't eat desert - my SO does not have a sweet tooth so he keeps me off the sugar.

One of our favorites is oven baked french fries - scrub potatoes and cut as for fries - soak for 20 minutes in ice water then drain and pat dry. Pour olive oil and any seasonings (this is where you can be creative) over the spuds in a bowl, make one layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 20 minutes, turning once if you like. Yummy with steaks, burgers, chicken, or a big green salad. Also works well with sweet potatoes.

-- Maggie's farm (elemon@peacehealth.org), January 25, 2001.

Hi, I had Blackeyed Peas and Ham Soup. Homemade of course. Also Homemade BREAD. Dessert was Lemon Merique Pie.It tasted Great.

-- PRISCILLA (Mtasheacres@aol.com), January 25, 2001.

So much for plans, instead of the above, Gary wasn't interested in eating, so I had garlic pop corn and apples. Later he had a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich.

-- Cindy (SE IN.) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), January 25, 2001.

Tonight is chicken packets. I simplified my life a while back by buying a book called "once a month cooking", where I spend two days (usually a weekend) with Hubbie chopping, mixing, and pre-cooking meals that can be frozen, then simply removed and baked, or warmed up, with very little work at the time. It covers dinner every night for 30 days, or lunch and dinner for two weeks. My problem is getting inspired for breakfast. I'm tired of eggs and meat with toast or biscuits.

Chicken packets are made with cubed chicken, soft cheese (I like cream cheese, but any soft homemade cheese will do), and some spices and veggies, wrapped in a purchased crescent roll cover and baked for 15 min. Yummy!

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@Excite.com), January 26, 2001.

Turkey noodle soup here tonight. Homemade of course! Simple to do really and beats the heck out of canned stuff. Water, boulion cubes, chopped cabbage, chopped carrot, sauteed chopped onion, ground turkey, squirt of soy sauce, few shakes of blackened seasoning and a hand full of egg noodles! It's simmering now till the noodles are done then down it goes. Smells wonderful around here at the moment! Might have a sandwich with it or maybe a just few saltines.

-- Bob Johnson (Backwoods_Bob@excite.com), January 26, 2001.

I plan my menues weekly and write them down.I've been doing that for 35 years and it works well. I also marathon cook sometimes. Yesterday,I made some veggie soup and while the kitchen was a mess,I made supper for tonight. It is crock pot lasagna. Since I have two crockpots I can keep ahead of the meals-like preparing two suppers at once. My hubby usually takes leftovers for his lunch or I freeze them in single serving containers for later.

-- Ardie from WI (a6203@hotmail.com), January 29, 2001.

Well, tonight it is my famous, never made the same way twice, beef stew! But tomorrow, it will be the delectible General Tso's Chicken! I'll share if you will! GL! (And Hi! Cindy)

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), January 29, 2001.

Fun thread. Wish I had started reading it earlier in the day...my stomach is growling!!

We are going to have quiche, made the Tightwad Gazette way with a rice crust. Easy way to use up leftover rice, and we always have extra eggs. I did go to a grocery store today and walked around in a daze. Did all the prices go up since the first of the year, or when? I couldn't find any meat-type protein for under $1/lb, except for frozen turkey, which I didn't feel like shelling out $13 for something that tasteless. The cheapest vegetables were 69 cents/lb for cauliflower, cabbage, etc. Sheesh. Glad I have stuff at home! Now if I could only find a source for cheese (and no, I'm not milking the sheep this year!) And I sure hope the homebrew gets done soon!

-- sheepish (WA) (rborgo@gte.net), January 29, 2001.

Decided to make Crab Rangoon as an appetizer before the General Tso's chicken. I find it interestinf that Maggie works in the winter, when I cook, and I work in the summer, when she cooks! GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), January 30, 2001.