Garden of Galadriel

A good friend of mine asked me for ideas for dinner, as she is getting tired cooking the same old stuff. I pontificated on this very subject not many posts ago: how cooking dinner starts to become a chore when one gets into a rut (which has definitely been the case with me for a while now). However, cooking new recipes can be daunting, especially when one is pressed for time; one has a busy day at work or studying or dashing around like a lunatic, and then one doesn't have the energy or the motivation to make complicated meals. Well, that's what happens in my house, anyway.

And then I discovered the joy of menus. If I write up a menu for the week, I know exactly what to do the night before (plonk the chicken in the marinade, put the beans on to soak), what to do before work (throw the whole thing in the slow cooker). And then I'll have made a brand-new dish and I've remembered how much fun food is and impressed Partner to boot. So I would like to share my last three menus (mostly for showing-off purposes. I don't actually know if the abovementioned friend even reads my blog. But I've made it smaller and easier to skip).

Sunday: Roast beef with Yorkshire puddings, cabbage, carrots, roast potatoes, and gravy
Monday: Stir fried fresh veg and leftover beef in Chinese insta-sauce with rice
Tuesday: Beef and vegetable lasagna
Wednesday: Marinated chicken curry with rice
Thursday: Slow-cooker sausage casserole
Friday: Baked chicken with herbs, roast potatoes, and green beans
Saturday: Pizza

Sunday: Roast chicken with cabbage, carrots, roast potatoes, and gravy
Monday: Stir fried fresh veg and leftover chicken in Chinese insta-sauce with rice
Tuesday: Slow-cooker casoulet
Wednesday: Chili with rice and tortilla chips
Thursday: Pork chops with herbs, garlic mash, and baby carrots
Friday: Slow-cooker beef hotpot
Saturday: Marinated grilled sea bream, refried beans, and red rice, with cheese and salsa

Sunday: Roast lamb with cabbage, carrots, roast potatoes, mint and gravy
Monday: Stir fried fresh veg and leftover lamb in Chinese insta-sauce with noodles
Tuesday: Pork chops in barbecue sauce, baked potatoes, and coleslaw
Wednesday: Chili with rice and tortilla chips
Thursday: Marinated chicken with garlic butter penne, and salad
Friday: Slow-cooker corned beef hash
Saturday: Pizza

Partner made me these last week for breakfast. He's such a sweet husband.