Sunday, February 24, 2008

Meal Plan Monday (a little early)


This week will start with a "rubber" chicken. They call it this because you can stretch it into so many meals! You just take a whole chicken, coat it olive oil and salt and bake it like normal. All the greasy goodness will collect in the bottom of the pot (I use my pot that goes in the oven and on the stove top. That is the only way to maximize the greasy goodness). I pull all the meat off and sort it by dark and white. I then add about 6 quarts of water to the carcass plus a couple of onions. All the olive oil that had caramelized in the bottom of the pot will make your stock very rich. You strain the stock and split it into thirds. Once cool, I pour one into a gallon ziploc and freeze it. With the other bits and pieces I'll make...

Monday - oatmeal & fruit, chicken breast & peas & biscuits, chicken stir fry
Tuesday - cereal & fruit, chicken breast & peas & biscuits leftovers, chicken alfredo & green beans
Wednesday - oatmeal & fruit, chicken soup (meat, veggies, pasta and stock), chicken stove top casserole
Thursday - cereal and fruit, chicken and dumplings, leftovers (freeze any remaining chicken or stock at lunchtime)
Friday - oatmeal and fruit, 10 bean soup with ham, ham stir fry
Saturday - cereal and fruit, 10 bean soup leftovers, salmon patties and peas
Sunday - oatmeal and fruit, Chinese!, leftovers

If I stick to my plan, I do not need to go to the grocery store AT ALL this week! Score! I managed to snag some good deals last week (like hormone free chicken was 79 cents a pound - got three) and eggs were $.99 a dozen (like half off). Next week I want to have more meatless meals but I forgot to buy beans this week. The 10 bean soup is my last bag of dried beans boo hoo!

4 comments:

Carl said...

Try adding a few more things to your stock:
A whole garlic cut in half sideways
a teaspoon peppercorns
a couple of carrots halved
a couple of celery sticks halved
a celery heart .. leaves and all
a couple of leeks

Nic said...

Wow! What and efficient plan. Have a great week.

Lylah Ledner said...

thanks for visiting my MMM blog...so glad to hear the crib is a winner! thanks and love your menu ideas! your baby is so stink'n cute!

blessings...lylah

Jen@BigBinder said...

Oh my gosh, your little girl is adorable! I love your blog name too :)

I've heard of the rubber chicken thing! We're rather big eaters (or my husband is anyway) so I'm happy if we have a meal + leftovers for lunch. Way to stretch it out!