Menu Plan Monday ~ February 18

This week I'm going to do something a little different. I've been sitting in a menu planning rut for - well, forever - so this week is hereby designated the Inaugural New Recipe Every Night Menu Plan :) Consequently my usual style of menu planning has gone out the window - this week is all about expanding my repertoire. It's a given I'll switch these around, so I am trying something new this week - gasp! I'm not going to assign a specific meal to a specific day. I know, crazy. I don't know how I'm going to cope. I'm thinking of starting up The Reformed "If It's Monday..." Menu Planner Association. Come join me! :P

All recipes are brand new, never-been-tried-before, including the baking. Most are sourced from magazines but a few are online recipes. This is also the week that Hubs is working afternoon shift, so it's just me and the kids. Perhaps I should call this the Kids Rule Menu Plan? :P I really need to up the ante on the 'just the kids and I' meals as I've been far too lazy in this area lately. I'm really trying to find recipes which the kids will find interesting. Perhaps even begin collecting recipes for this specific week in Hubs' schedule.

Note: Aussies might recognise many of these recipes from Recipes+ magazine's Jan/Feb issue :)

1. Ham Patties (these look a bit like little hamburger or lentil patties but have ham, vegetables and egg in them, almost like a little quiche shaped like a hockey puck - the kids will love the 'dip-ability'. Served with cheesy macaroni)
2. Fish Finger Pockets (think pita pockets stuffed with fish fingers (fish sticks?), and loads of vegetables)
3. Dippy Doo (carrots, celery, capsicum (bell pepper), hard-boiled egg, lightly steamed broccoli and cauliflower, plus whatever else I can drum up on the night and a peanut dipping sauce - again, another one the kids will go crazy for :)
4. Herb Cobbler Casserole (a 'ramped up' bolognaise sauce with a herb dumpling crust and served with vegies)
5. Egg Men (split wholemeal english muffins topped with a scrambled egg/cheese/mustard mixture and facial features made from chopped up vegies - alfalfa for hair, strip of capsicum (bell pepper) for mouth, and so on)
6. Cornish Pasties (served with salad)
7. Mini Pizzas (using a new quick pizza dough)

Baking This Week ~

Apple & Pecan Slice, Refridgerator Slice, Savoury Texas Muffins, Banana & Raspberry Bread (later in the week when the bananas get mushy - I have some frozen raspberries to use up too) and Cheddar & Chive Wafers.

Yummo! With the baking, I'm going to try to bake a little something most days this week, just to get the stock up for the freezer. I don't usually try to sustain this level of Martha-ness though power to all you gals who can! I highly doubt the Refridgerator Slice will last long enough to worry about storage, LOL, and the wafers can be stored in a jar in the pantry. I've been looking for a 'make your own cracker' type recipe as I include some in the kids' lunchboxes each day and wasn't happy with the commercial type.

I'm also working on our Family Cookbook this week and hope to have a post up about how to create your own sometime before the end of the month.

Chop chop!

For more Menu Plan Monday folk, stop on by I'm An Organizing Junkie. And drool at everyone else's menu :P

Cheers,
Lizzie