A frequent entry in my New Year's Resolutions usually reads like this:

I will not wait untill 5pm to plan and buy dinner as leads to evening focused entirely on food, but rather will plan, buy, and even prepare, food earlier in day.

I think this may be a common refrain for many people and Meredith at Sweetness and Light has decided to do something about it! A Menu Planning Carnival is in the works to help bust us out of our usual meal ruts.

I'm trying to eat out of our pantry more, use up some of that stuff and give us more room for planning for our voyage to Key West. So let's see what I think I could make this next week.



Sunday: I have three chicken breasts that need to be eaten so I think I'll make a foil packet for the grill with onions and either green peppers or yellow squash and zucchini over the breasts with Greek Seasoning sprinkled heavy over all. A side of mashed potatoes from the pantry will make this meal super easy.



Monday: Since I won't eat a whole chicken breast most likely, I'll take the leftovers and turn them into enchiladas today. Mix chopped or shredded chicken with refried beans and black beans (both from pantry) spread on wrap, roll up and top with Mole sauce (canned, in fridge, must use up because if it falls on my foot one more time it is going to be fed to the fishes.) Heat to bubbly then top with shredded cheese and heat till melty. Fresh Pineapple would be nice with this.

Tuesday: Pasta and clam sauce from pantry. Cook pasta, heat spaghetti sauce, add can of clams with juice (extra flavor!) and heat gently. Spinach salad with honey dijon dressing and cranberry-walnut topping. (from one of those autumnal salad packs that we didn't use the included dressing/toppings, get it out of my fridge!)



Wednesday: Spinach Salad with strawberries, apricots, and canned chicken (again with the pantry cleaning) and poppy seed dressing, hopefully using last of the jar of dressing!



Thursday: My famous camping soup. Take one can whole corn, drained, one can black beans, drained, one can diced tomatoes, not drained. Heat and eat. Top with sour cream or jalapeno cheese dip or green onions or shredded cheese or crushed chips...



Friday: Cocktails under the Tiki Hut: Shrimp cocktail would be lovely. Buy already cooked shrimp, Marianna will hang them about the edge of the martini glasses with an extra spicy cocktail sauce. Everyone brings something, perhaps Brushetta, or Veggies, Crackers or Chips and Dip, Quesadillas - yummy stuff to graze on!



Saturday: Our famous Bleu Cheese Burgers! Only with bacon too! And mine will have spinach on it as well, yum!

So there is the plan...now for the execution!