Meal plan for 10/28-11/3

Fridays are paydays for the hubs, so they are also my official shopping day.  Since he gets paid every two weeks and it's easier for me to do one big trip than a bunch of small ones, I buy most everything on payday.  Obviously some things will spoil before the end of the two weeks, so I still end up making a smaller trip for things like produce and milk.  

It can be intimidating to look at a two week long list. I decided that I would just post my monthly menu at the beginning of each month and get into shopping lists weekly.  I think I'm also going to leave out the breakfast/lunch portion of the menu.  I'm not too sure anyone is really interested in what Bean and I scrounging up for meals that most working people aren't home for. ;)

This week, we're trying out a bunch of new recipes and a few tried and true.

Sunday- 3 Cheese Skillet Lasagna (via Martha Stewart)
Monday- Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs (via Six Sisters' Stuff)
Tuesday- Addicting Chicken (via Food.com) and Sweet Potato Muffins (via My Love for Cooking)
Wednesday- Chicken Crescents (via Comfy in the Kitchen)
Thursday- Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Apple Skillet (via 
Friday- Italian Sausage Soup (via Crock Pot, shared by Family.Go.Com)
Saturday- OMG Chicken Tenders (adapted from The Enchanted Cook)

There are things I do different in some of the recipes, like leaving out the brussel sprouts in Thursday's dinner or using sour cream and chicken tenders instead of mayo and whole chicken breasts in Saturday's.  It's all personal preference.  The shopping list, though, shows the ingredients for the recipes as is, with the exception of Saturday, which shows the tenders and sour cream change. At the end is a second list of things that you should already have in your pantry.  If you don't, you really should invest in them.  They're used in quite a few recipes and quite annoying to run out of. The shelf lives for most of them are ridiculously long, so if you end up not needing it again for a few months, they'll be fine. 

Shopping list for week of October 28-November 3

8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
About 1.5 pound chicken breast tenders
3 slices 30% less fat center cut bacon (recipe used Oscar Mayer)
1 1/2 c Brussels sprouts
2 med sweet potatoes
1 med onion, chopped
2 Golden Delicious apples
7 c reduced-sodium chicken broth
43 ounces canned whole peeled plum tomatoes (from a 28-ounce can and a 15-ounce can)
1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1 box (12 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, shredded
2 and 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
32 oz. package of precooked, frozen meatballs (you could use turkey meatballs)
13.5 oz can of unsweetened pineapple chunks
1 large green pepper, diced
1 (8 or 6 jumbo count) package refrigerator crescent rolls
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
½ cup and 4 teaspoons Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs (should be something you already have, but I’ll keep it here)
1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup mini pasta shells (or other small noodle)
1 bag (10 ounces) baby spinach leaves

*****Please keep in mind that this list is based on the assumption that you are making the full recipes and following them exactly. If you are cutting them in half or altering them in any way, don’t forget to change your list!***** 

Stuff you probably already have:

Salt

Pepper

Corn starch

All-Purpose flour

Garlic salt

Red pepper flakes

Paprika

Vegetable oil

Olive oil

Vanilla extract (never imitation!)

Milk

Oats

Baking powder

Baking soda

Dried parsley

Dried basil

Dried oregano

Dried thyme

butter

Brown sugar

Soy sauce

White vinegar

Eggs

Cinnamon

Garlic bulb

I really hope this is a help.  I would love some feedback. Any questions, comments, or suggestions?  :)