Weekly Menu Planning – May 2022

[MidwesternerTT (MTT)]

Let’s use this thread to share concise weekly dinner menus for each week in May. It’s helpful if you can include your location and how many people you are feeding. Links to recipes are always appreciated, and sources help.

Mothers Day, graduation parties and bridal showers, wedding anniversary reception parties - all will be extra-enjoyable (in-person!!) visits with family and friends. Are you hosting? What’s on the menu? Here in MN the cool / cold weather has delayed the start of tender plants growing /gardening season but I’m expecting first harvest of my hardy backyard rhubarb around May 20, and a rhubarb upside down cake the same day.

We all know plans can change, so it’s fine (practically expected) when your week gets rearranged from your posted plan. You may choose to report actuals for the prior week to share ideas with others.

The April discussion is still available for reporting the last week and follow-ups,

Reminder – Keep your comments menu / food related. And in the interest of faster viewing times, please use the Like (knife & fork) under a comment to indicate you liked it or want to echo what was said by another, rather than posting a separate comment.

[vafarmwife (Kelly Hoge)]

Happy end of April and start of May everyone. Well no snow this week LOL. The dogwoods, service berry and apple trees are blooming. We had a light frost on Wednesday morning. Husband is busy getting 35 acres of ground ready for corn planting in May.
Cooking for two adults in the mountains of southwest Virginia
Saturday-April 30- BBQ pork ribs- I bought the ribs and a co-worker smokes them for me. He does a great job. I also give him some hickory wood from some old downed hickory trees that we have on one of the farms. We have a downed apple tree that he will get wood from as well. Baked beans and potato salad
Sunday-NY Strips, baked potato for husband and FIL. Angus, the Lab, will get a NY strip too. I plan on having some grilled shrimp instead of steak. Will also do zucchini, yellow squash, and onions in grill pan on grill. Will send the FIL some baked beans from Saturday as he loves them.
Monday- spaghetti, salad, and TX toast- will also send some of this to FIL as he likes my spaghetti
Tuesday- leftover pork from ribs on buns. leftover beans and potato salad
Wednesday- bacon and egg sandwich-husband’s request. I will have avocado on mine. YUM avocado and bacon!
Thursday- leftover spaghetti
Friday- fish sticks, mac and cheese- this meal is husband’s request, and coleslaw
Note from this week’s meal- the Rao’s Vodka Sauce and fresh Buitoni 5 cheese ravioli was hit. Husband said he would eat it again. Will have to keep an eye out for sales on the Rao’s.

Have a great week everyone!

[MidwesternerTT (MTT)]

Great plan for the week (I’m jealous of those smoked ribs) and I notice that your husband stepped up with 2 meal requests And a 3rd one if you count the “please repeat sometime” approval from last week.

[vafarmwife (Kelly Hoge)]

And he specified blue box macaroni cheese He doesn’t want homemade with fish sticks. Says that was a meal from his youth.

[Gourmanda]

I love fish sticks. That is my go-to dinner one the rare occasions my husband isn’t home.

[ottawaoperadiva]

Hello from Ottawa where it continues to be cold and blustery. The weather person is predicting the temperatures will go up over the weekend - I sure hope they’re right! Last week’s vernissage didn’t go so well. We were asked to order tickets ahead of time and most places do so to limit the amount of people in the building. I assumed the art gallery was doing the same so I had my ticket ready when I got there but they were waiving everyone in. Everyone was packed like sardines so I ended up standing near the door so I could leave easily. They had a few small plates of cheese and crackers out but no toothpicks. Since covid has turned me into a germophobe I decided to forgo the refreshments. I stayed long enough to hear the speeches then left, picking up some sushi on the way home, and called it a night.

Onto my plans for this week:

Tonight: I bought a glass noodle salad for my take out lunch today so I will have a garden salad for dinner.

Saturday: bagel and lox carried over from Easter weekend. (Thanks to @LulusMom1 the inspiration!)

Sunday: Shrimp curry https://www.skinnytaste.com/thai-coconut-curry-shrimp

Monday: gado gado

Tuesday: the last stuffed green pepper in the freezer, veggies tbd.

Wednesday: chicken cacciatore.

Thursday: I have two servings of garlic scape pesto sauce in the freezer leftover from last summer’s CSA so I have fettucine al pesto pencilled in for tonight. But I may also have some random veggies left in the fridge by now so I may make a stirfry instead.

Have a nice weekend everyone. I hope it’s nice where you are.

[LulusMom1 (Kari)]

That vernissage story is disturbing, and I’m with you, I’d be out of there right away. I’m so sorry.

Yay for Spring and enjoy the bagel dinner!

[ottawaoperadiva]

Agreed about the vernissage. I already got covid once this year I’m not interested in getting it again. And the thought of having cheese and crackers that may or may not have been in contact with other people’s grubby fingers is not appealing to me…

[mbcraw4d (Maria Crawford)]

Hi, all! Cooking for 2-4 in Chattanooga, where it may finally be spring!
We’re having last-minute company tonight, so I should be prepping, but here’s some meal planning instead…
Saturday, April 30: Having neighbors over for hummus topped with kofta (Falastin), za’atar bread, chopped salad, and whatever else they bring
Sunday: Chicken Lajawab from Milk Street, rice, asparagus, alfajores
Monday: Shrimp creole (Joy of Cooking), rice
Tuesday: Scrounge (Boston DD arrives, so vegetarian from here on!)
Wednesday: Crispy couscous with pumpkin (Ottolenghi/Guardian)–I have a Delicata squash that really needs to be used up, and DD loves squash
Thursday: Cheesy corn casserole (Cook’s Country) for DD and I, bratwurst for corn-skeptic DH
Friday: Food tour; Atlanta DD will be there, too!

Have a great week, and happy cooking!

[NJChicaa]

Cooking for 1 at the Jersey Shore

Friday: baked boneless skinless chicken breast with Emeril’s Essence, risotto with white wine and green peas, roasted baby carrots with thyme (I have no idea how any of that goes together)
Saturday: Homemade merguez with herby yogurt from Small Victories, basmati rice, mini cucumber salad (made with half sour cream and half herby yogurt)
Sunday: leftovers from Saturday
Monday: lasagna from Small Victories, baby spinach cooked with EVOO and garlic
Tuesday: leftovers from Monday
Wednesday: beer cheese soup from COTM
Thursday: stuffed pork chop from COTM with buttered milk peas from COTM
Friday: Thursday leftovers

[truman (Mara)]

If you’re a member of BJs (if there’s one near you), they carry Rao’s sauces - bigger jars than the grocery store for similar prices.

[truman (Mara)]

Hi friends, cooking oddly for assorted family members at home in the Boston burbs and away.

Sun: lasagna… I’m thinking with homemade pasta, sort of the thousand-layer lasagna on SK but maybe not quite, as I remember that it was a little watery. Probably salad on the side.

Mon: I’m heading out of town to serve as chauffeur/chaperone/chef for a family member having non-urgent but important surgery. DH and DS are having rotisserie chicken and cornbread. I don’t know what I will do for dinner.

Tues: surgery day, no idea what or when I’ll eat, but I don’t have high expectations. Guys will have nachos.

Weds/Thurs: Guys will go out on Weds and have leftover lasagna (after play rehearsal) on Thurs. My plans will probably involve cooking bland food.

Fri: I fly home. Dinner will be… I have no idea, but late after play rehearsal.

[Lambchop (DeMarko)]

Over the years with various family members, I’ve found that hospital cafeteria food is quite acceptable with good selections and decent prices. As opposed to hospital room food which I found to be pretty bad last year, and sadly not improved much from when I had the DD’s a couple + decades ago. Different hospital though. Good luck with the surgery and associated travel. I’m sure the patient will very much appreciate your help.

[MidwesternerTT (MTT)]

Hope all goes well with your travel/family care. Good that it’s possible again to be there in person for support. If a slow cooker is available, perhaps beef stew would be easy to make / appreciated after surgery? Scrambled eggs and English muffin was also favored by my mom many years ago after her knee replacement.

[truman (Mara)]

Thanks, Lambchop. I’ve also found that hospital food has improved over the years, but this will be an outpatient surgery center so I don’t know what to expect.

Funny hospital food story: when DS was making his arrival, all I wanted was pancakes… my l&d nurse promised that the hospital had fantastic breakfast food and I could have pancakes just as soon as I was done, y’know, having that baby. Well, those hospital pancakes were TERRIBLE. Cold, small, thick, and rubbery - not unlike hockey pucks. So now ever year on DS’s birthday, I have to have good pancakes.

[truman (Mara)]

Thanks for the suggestions. I’m expecting to no have any expectations - I’ve accepted that I am not in charge for the week! Fortunately I will have a car and there’s a Wegmans nearby, so I can shop as the various whims hit my patient.

[Lambchop (DeMarko)]

Oh, that is funny, and what a let down it must have been. I like how the experience morphed into a family tradition now though!

[dustchick]

For two adults in San Diego:

This week’s breakfasts: Just made this - https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/marble-loaf-cake/. Changes: I didn’t make the glaze, and I didn’t add espresso powder. A lovely, simple cake that I will enjoy eating for breakfast, and I’m betting my husband will claim a few slices, too.

S (tonight): takeout - pizza

Su: Lobster rolls postponed from Friday as the lobster is taking its sweet time defrosting in the fridge. - seafood.

M: Giving this a try with TJs gorgonzola gnocchi: https://whatsgabycooking.com/gnocchi-with-peas-and-asparagus/ - vegetarian

T: Grilled chicken thighs, hash brown casserole, carrot coins

W: TJs beef tamale with doctored baked beans from freezer

Th: Chicken quesadillas

F: Pasta with red sauce and meatballs

Have a good week!

[MonicaMadeIt]

Hi from STL. Husband and I went on a delightful hike this morning. Now to deal with the looming work week and prepare for my 5-day trip to Pittsburgh for a conference. I’ve never loved traveling and this feels like it’s going to be really long and hard. So this menu is pretty short.
Sat 4/30: takeout
Sun 5/1: Salmon shawarma salad subbing bulgur for the quinoa and romaine lettuce for the kale
I’m also going to try the pan-banging CCC’s from 100 Cookies.
Mon 5/2: sweet potato, bacon, and parsley quiche from Dinner in French (prior COTM), and asparagus
Tue 5/3: a slice of quiche at room temperature in the airport. I find the worst part about eating at these conferences is the lack of fruits/vegetables so I will usually bring some sugar snap peas and cherry tomatoes for snacks.
Wed-Fri: meeting. Husband and daughter will either get Hawaiian pizza, or make sloppy joes, or have something else that I really do not care for
Sat 5/7: probably pizza or other takeout
See you next week!

[ottawaoperadiva]

Tonight’s dinner was a shrimp curry with bok choy and orange pepper strips added. I was a little heavy handed with the coconut milk. Note to self use less next time.