Weekly Meal Planning

Those of you reading this in a feed reader will have already seen this week's meal plan. I always plan a week in advance and keep the post in draft form, but I accidentally published it way early. So no surprises for you this week. Sorry about that! Me = airhead, more often than not.

ANYway. Waaaay back at the beginning of the year, I made a resolution, and that resolution was to cook one recipe from each of my cookbooks by the end of the year. Well, here we are in the middle of August, and I've only cooked out of a handful of them. I have a loooong way to go. So the majority of the recipes on our meal plan this week -- and probably for quite a few weeks to come -- will be from the cookbooks I haven't used yet.

My only excuse is that the internet is just such a wonderful and immediate source for delicious recipes. But cookbooks, like the internet, are a treasure trove of good eating, and to me there's something very calming about sitting back and paging through one looking for recipes. I'm looking forward to trying everything on the menu this week!

(Also, be sure to check in tomorrow for three or four new posts -- including the recipe for our new favorite sandwich and some delicious cheesecake cupcakes. I got a little behind on my posting last week.)

Monday -- Soup or Salad: Southwest chicken corn chowder, grilled pepper-Jack cheese sandwiches We were all suffering from a terrible stomach bug the day we were supposed to eat this soup, so I froze the whole batch to have at a later date -- that "later date" probably being soon after the baby comes home, and the very last thing in the world I feel like doing is cooking.

Tuesday -- Pasta: Creamy bow ties with ham and vegetables

Wednesday -- Grilling: Peach-glazed BBQ pork chops, grilled asparagus, some variation of foil packet potatoes

Thursday -- Quick and Easy: Taco puffs

Friday -- Burgers and Fries: Hawaiian sliders, steak fries

Saturday -- Regional or International: Chicken gyros, Greek-style potatoes

Sunday -- Comfort Food: Roast beef sandwiches topped with gravy and oven rings, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli. (Inspired by Diners, Drive-Ins and Drives. That show always makes me so damn hungry.)

Baking: Butterscotch blondies