Family Dinner

Each Tuesday, my goal is to commit myself to a family dinner menu plan. I'm not a cook, so don't expect much.

Tuesday: I defrosted hamburger patties (Laura's sells them premade in a box), so it's hamburgers on a lite bread, (low-carb diet for me), with green beans and salad - vegetables Little One will eat. She always wants french fries, so if we go to the store, I may buy the bakeable crinkles, which are low in fat.

Wednesday: I've also defrosted chicken thighs - which I've never cooked before. They were cheaper than breasts and since I'm low-carbing it, the fat isn't as important. And as is typical of me, I thought I had a recipe for them - but I don't. So here's my dirty little cooking secret: Google. I type in "chicken thighs," low carb, easy. You've got to put the chicken thighs in quotes or it gives you every kind of chicken. And I've found my recipe: Basil Lemon Chicken. I just need to pick up Basil, maybe a lemon and yogurt.

There's also Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Lime. I have the ingredients for this recipe, so we'll call that Plan B - or next week's Wednesday dinner.

I'll make some rice for the family and, once again, it'll be green beans and salad. What can I say? Little One is picky.

Apparently, I can just bake them, so I may do that.

Thursday: We usually eat out with friends. But just in case, I'm defrosting a pot roast. Normally, we'd do fish, but I want to make soup over the weekend. I got a hankering. I'll make it in the crock pot with carrots and potatoes. My mother - a genius of economy - uses canned carrots and canned potatoes, and it tastes fantastic.

Friday: Pot roast - depending on what happened Thursday - or soup and cheese sandwiches.

Saturday: Nutty Oven Fried Fish. The recipe for this is in "Saving Dinner the Low-Carb Way," a fantastic resource for families. The Saving Dinner books are divided into weeks by season. Each week includes a grocery list, with optional side items, so you can just copy it and go if you're not picky. We may have the soup and sandwiches and save this for next week.

Sunday: Sunday is Christmas Eve. We'll be doing a lot of running, so I'm going with a crock pot recipe. The Fix It Lightly and Forget It cookbook offers an "Easy and Delicious Turkey Breast" recipe that's turky, cranberry sauce, a dry onion soup mix and OJ. That's for dinner.

I do need to plan ahead and have a low-carb breakfast casserole for Monday morning.

Monday: Christmas Day. I'll need to check in with my mother about what to bring. We'll have a huge lunch, so we'll probably have leftovers for dinner or sandwiches. Or maybe we'll do scrambled eggs and pancakes!

Family | Family Dinner