This is the meal plan I've followed for years and perhaps it and the others I've posted will help you out a bit to build one for yourself. I like it because I can switch days or leave them out completely if necessary. Many of the basic foods are prepared in advance and portioned in the freezer in serving sizes (2 people for us). That would include spaghetti sauce, freezer mashed potatoes, soup/stew/chili, taco meat, etc. You could easily rearrange the choices to work best for you. I don't like to work out a "perfect" menu, but I like the guidelines I've set out for myself. I know if I have a few simple ingredients on hand - shredded cheese, lettuce and other fresh veggies, and a well-stocked freezer, no meal is very far away. MONDAY: Big Meal Includes a large cut of meat that will also serve as leftovers, possibly sandwich meat, base for stir fry; and served with all the "normal" side dishes that go along with that type of meat. Usually there is enough leftover to freeze a portion to use later. Baked chicken or roast beef also get used to make soup. Occasionally when I don't have time to make the whole meal from scratch I'll use whatever has been waiting the freezer (leftover roast turkey or beef, etc.) TUESDAY: Leftovers It may take on a completely different look than what was served on Monday - your choice. If you don't like leftovers the next day, use them on Wednesday instead. WEDNESDAY: Stir-fry If you prepared vegetables on Monday or Tuesday that can be prepared in advance to include in this meal you'll save time by chopping enough on the previous days. Use a combination of fresh and frozen veggies. Almost any kind of meat can be used for stir-fry - both raw or pre-cooked. Serve with a side of rice and fresh fruit for dessert. I might take a large amount of meat (chicken or steak for instance) and cook it and portion it for the freezer and used later for more stir-fry meals, or used as the meat topping on a dinner salad, or used in a wrap on sandwich day. THURSDAY: International Usually something Italian or Mexican using spaghetti sauce and some kind of pasta or taco meat (which are already portioned in the freezer). Both meat bases can be used in a plethora of things. FRIDAY: Vegetarian A great way to save on our most expensive food item - meat. If you don't have time for a traditional breakfast, it could be a good time for pancakes or crepes. Something egg, cheese or bean based. SATURDAY: Soup and/or Sandwich We're always busy on Saturday, so instead of eating out, having the freezer stocked with homemade soup and fixings for sandwiches on hand (as well as wraps and other sandwich-type things) saves time and money. SUNDAY: Homemade Pizza or a Dinner Salad Homemade pizza is a good way to use up small amounts of leftover meat and clean the vegetable bin. When the weather is too hot for baking pizza, or the garden is in full swing, those same meat and vegetable ingredients make a great dinner salad. All meals include nature's "FAST FOOD" which are fresh vegetables of some kind and fresh or canned fruit for dessert. The freezer is stocked with homemade tortillas, homemade burger and hot dog buns, homemade dinner rolls, cornbread (all wrapped in foil in servings for one or two) ready to reheat. ------------------------------------------------------ Here's another eating plan I jotted down from a book I read years ago: -Meat on Sunday and Wednesday -Casseroles/Leftovers Monday and Thursday -Pasta - Tuesday -Fish, eggs, cheese - Friday -Soup and or Sandwich - Saturday -------------------------------------------- This one I read on-line: Monday - Pasta Tuesday - Soup, salad, and/or sandwiches Wednesday - Stir-fry Thursday - Crock-pot Friday - Pizza Saturday - Something new Sunday - Something easy -Grainlady

Maggie2094, I would never judge such a wonderful dinner option! CLBLakey, those stuffed prawns look wonderful! Would love a recipe. Solsthumper, Love everything you post, but especially love your gorgeous food pics! Sorry they are taking a back burner. Ann_T, Dinners look amazing as always! Hainanese Chicken looks interesting! For some one who doesn't like salads, your beet and feta salad, looks like one I would love! (love beets, but only one in family who does). Apple fritters also look really good! Need to bake soon! Lamb is one thing I have only cooked once. I find it's so expensive so I never tend to buy. Might have to look into buying a quarter or half as you did! Last night I made a pepita crusted halibut with cilantro, serrano cream sauce. I cheated as I had picked up a cilantro chutney at the Farmer's market. When I looked at the ingredients, they were pretty much the same as the sauce. I sautéed some onions, added a Serrano chile and some cream. Was wonderful! Here's the link to the recipe, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/pepita-crusted-pacific-halibut-with-cilantro-serrano-cream-recipe/index.html

Here are two of my favorites: Chicken Tetrazzini â¢4 cups cooked diced chicken â¢salt and pepper â¢8 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained â¢6 tablespoons butter â¢8 ounces sliced mushrooms â¢1/4 cup all-purpose flour â¢1 cup light cream or half-and-half â¢2 cups chicken broth â¢1/4 cup dry sherry â¢1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese â¢ground sweet paprika, optional Heat the oven to 425ð. Butter a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish. Cook spaghetti or noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat; sauté sliced mushrooms until golden. In a saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter; stir in flour, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until smooth; add chicken broth and cream. Cook, stirring, until sauce is thickened. Add chicken, cooked mushrooms, and sherry; heat through. Place noodles or spaghetti in a buttered baking dish; pour on sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 425ð for 15 to 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. serves 8 Baked Ziti 1 pound dry ziti pasta 1 onion, chopped 1 pound lean ground beef 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce or homemade sauce 6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced 1 1/2 cups sour cream 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Directions: 1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain. 2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes. 3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. 4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted

I don't like making meatloaf burgers. For me it's meat, seasonings and occasionally some steak sauce or BBQ sauce mixed in, normally just meat (sometimes a mix of beef and pork or sausage) and seasonings, fried in bacon fat and butter preferably. Fry the bacon, keep some of the grease, add a pat of butter and crank up the heat and cook those burgers. I like a thick burger medium-well and often I'll do thin burgers and double them. They're never dry or overcooked when I do them. No sense arguing about the bacteria on meat when ground. There's bacteria in the air so you should never breathe if you're that concerned. But if you follow safe precautions (clean tools, etc, which not everyone uses!) and grind quality beef there's absolutely nothing wrong with rare burgers. They've been cooked that way for a century. Why there's the concern now is the laziness of people. They use store-bought tubes of mass merchandised (sometimes mystery meat) and that's where you run into trouble. Seems like about once a year one of the big processors has a contamination issue and recalls tons of tubes. And I grew up in a farm family and own a farm myself and would be more than happy to discuss this with any paranoid ag teacher. Personally I prefer a burger on a flattop or frypan rather than a grill. The grill marks do nothing for me, I like the look of a nice crust on there that gives it taste.