Menu Plan Monday - Week of 10/06

This upcoming week will be a busy one for me, just like the first week of the month usually is. We did our monthly shopping on Friday. On Saturday, we went apple picking again. This time, we got a bushel of apples. Last time we went the types I wanted for baking were not available. So I have apples and freezer cooking to take care of this week.

I started some of that work today. I combined 6 pounds of ground turkey and 5 pounds of ground beef. From that, I made 2 dozen meatloaf cups (enough for two dinners), 18 meatballs, a pot of chili that we had for dinner tonight, and I browned the rest of the meat with some onions. That's now waiting in the refrigerator for me to finish cooking with later this week.

We also took care of 1/2 of the apples. I made applesauce and bagged up 8 quart-sized bags for the freezer and I also have three cookie sheets drying in the oven for apple leather. Then I made 2 batches of cinnamon apples for the freezer, an apple crisp, and cream cheese apple muffins for tomorrow. I'm still trying to put together recipes for the remaining apples.

The applesauce process was a lot of fun. Eric, Isabelle, Alex, Olivia and I worked together while Gracie was napping. Alex washed all the apples, Isabelle and Eric peeled them, I cut them, and then Olivia put them all in the pot. Afterwards, everyone was excited to taste the applesauce that they'd all had a hand in creating.

Anyhow, here is the plan for this week.

Breakfasts

• M - Cream cheese apple muffins (recipe below) and smoothies
• T - Cinnamon apple pancakes (x3 for freezer)
• W - Bagels & smoothies
• Th - Banana splits, biscuits w/ jelly
• F - Chocolate chip muffins (x3 for freezer) and smoothies
• S - Sunshine toast
• Su - Breakfast cookies (x3 for freezer)

Lunch

• M - Cheese & cracker platter, apple slices w/ peanut butter and honey dip
• T - Tuna pasta salad, yogurt
• W - Sandwiches, peaches
• Th - Chicken salad in pitas (pitas x2 for freezer), oranges
  
• F - Quesadillas, grapes
• S - Pizza pockets (x3 for freezer), oranges
• Su - Cream cheese wontons, waldorf salad

Dinner

• M - Chicken & black bean tacos (x2 for freezer and chicken parm fingers for freezer)
• T - Shepherd's pie (x2 for freezer and bangers & mash for freezer)
• W - Florentine Stuffed shells (x2 for freezer), salad, apple pie (double crust for Th. night)
• Th - Chicken pot pie (filling x3 for freezer)
• F - Taco soup (Thanks Amy!)
  
• S - Pretzel chicken (x2 for freezer), crash hot potatoes, ginger carrots
• Su - Cabbage and Polish sausage soup (x2 for freezer), breadsticks (vegetarian stuffed cabbage for freezer)

Cream Cheese Apple Muffins

• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/4 c. melted butter or margarine
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/4 t. nutmeg
  
• 1 c. peeled and diced apples
• 1 1/2 t. sugar
• 1 t. cinnamon

1. Mix together cream cheese, sugar, eggs, milk, melted margarine or butter, and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
2. In a seperate bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 1/2 t. cinnamon and nutmeg. Slowly add to cream cheese mixture. Fold in apples.
3. Combine 1 1/2 t. sugar with 1 t. cinnamon. Add batter to greased muffin tins and top with some cinnamon sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.