Monday Menu and a Fun Holiday Idea to Share

Christmas came early for WVU fans...Pitt Panthers wrapped-up in a bow!!




It's "Monday Menu Planning Time"; that time every Sunday when I look through the refrigerators, pantry shelves and freezers, then glance at my calendar to see what the coming week looks like. As you can tell, it's a ritual based more on leftovers, and what I have in the pantry and freezer, than anything else. I'm pretty well stocked-up right now because of the grocery sales before Thanksgiving.

I must add, that I have found that the day after Thanksgiving is an excellent time to get bargains on markdowns on fresh produce and other items associated with the holiday meal. I was out hunting Christmas gift bargains on "Black Friday" when, purely by chance, I went by a bin of yams that had been marked-down to 25 cents per pound! I was then on a mission to check all other produce that had a "Thanksgiving Connection"! I got a 3-pack of Romaine lettuce, marked at two packages for 3 dollars (it had been 2 dollars a package on Tuesday, because I had purchased some). I got a bag of Clementine oranges that had been 4 dollars, marked-down to $1.25. Gala apples had been reduced to 1 dollar a pound. And, although I didn't get any of them, the in-store bakery had its pumpkin pies on clearance for 3 dollars a piece (and they freeze well). I'm going to keep this in mind next year at this same time!

Aside from hunting bargains for Christmas gifts, I've come up with a fun theme for my blog for the month of December. It's called "Christmas the Traditional Way-Christmas the Easy Way!" I will be sharing some super easy ideas for the holiday rush. For example, I will give my very traditional recipe for Divinity (for you "Martha S.-Types" out there, and you know who you are!), and then I'll give my Marcia D.-Type, hurried and harried, holiday quickie recipe for No Fail Divinity (in which you use a box of fluffy vanilla frosting mix, but hey, it's delicious, and no one has to know.) Stick with me; we'll make it through our holiday to-do lists together!

Enough chit-chat. Here's my menu plan for the week:

Monday, Nov. 30

Beef BBQ (leftover roast beef)
Coleslaw/Broccoli Salad
chips(leftover dip)


Tuesday, Dec. 1

Corned beef and steamed cabbage
mashed potatoes
corn


Wednesday, Dec 2.

Homemade Potato Soup
Tuna on toasted flat bread w/tomato and Romaine


Thursday, Dec 3.

Chicken Caesar Salad
Toasted French garlic loaf


Friday, Dec 4.

Shrimp Prima Vera
Wheat rolls
7-Layer Salad


Saturday, Dec 5.

Cream of Wheat/Cocoa Wheat
Toast


Take-out Pizza (for guys)-St. Barbara's Ball
Veg. plate


Sunday, Dec. 6

Fiesta Meatloaf
Parsley Potatoes
Glazed Carrots
Broccoli and cheese sauce

Leftover Buffet!


I will be joining MPM at Orgjunkie .