Cooking Makes Me Happy

And so does meal planning.  If I plan what I'm going to make during the week, I have the ingredients I need and there are no last minute shopping trips, which cost more money than they should.  I truly hate going to the grocery store when I get off work.

I rarely decide what day I'm going to make something; it's too restrictive for me, especially when I forget to thaw something - I feel like I'm falling behind.  The definite exception is soup.  Rob doesn't like soup so during dart season, I plan soup dinners for Lindsay, Matt and myself on Thursdays when he plays. 

So this is my list for the week of January 2 - 8, 2011.

• Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
• Macaroni and Cheese Casserole (Kraft, tuna, mushroom soup and peas - simple and comforting)
• Rotisserie Chicken Tacos
• Puff Pastry Pizza with pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms
• Crock Pot Lasagna with salad and french bread
• Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff with green beans and garlic bread
• Breakfast for Dinner - Waffles, eggs and bacon.  The waffle maker I got for Christmas is amazing.

It took me about an hour of reading recipes and looking at past meal plans while drinking coffee, watching television and playing with our foster dog to come up with this plan and write the shopping list.  Now, if I can only fit all of these ingredients in our refrigerator and freezers. 

We have a lot of random leftovers from the holidays.  There are three half-gallons of eggnog, orange juice, ice in the deep freeze (great for using to shake up a Cosmo), artichoke dip, rolls, and random half-packages of Schwans frozen food.  I also have frozen turkey in the deep freeze but I don't want to use it all up right away.  We had turkey pot pie with with garlic parmesan cream sauce.  I'd post the recipe but I really do suck at writing them.