Menu Plan Monday, my attempt at organization

As a military wife it can be hard for me to plan what to cook during the week when P is here because some days he is just not in the mood for certain foods. With him gone I have decided to give Menu Plan Monday another go around

Monday
B- and fruit
L-Easy Black Bean Soup
D-shrimp or fish with steamed veggies

Tuesday
B-baked oatmeal and fruit
L-leftover black bean soup
D-salad, loaded with yummy stuff

Wednesday
B-baked oatmeal
L-Campbells’s Select Mexican Style Chicken Tortilla Soup. I add in a can of black beans and top it all with low fat sour cream, shredded cheese and Mission tortilla chips.
D-crockpot chicken salsa over rice (recipe to follow)

Thursday
B-baked oatmeal and fruit
L-leftover chicken tortilla soup
D-leftover crockpot chicken salsa in soft tortillas with a side of refried beans

Friday
B-baked oatmeal
L-salad, loaded with yummy stuff
D-Amy’s Organic frozen pizza and salad

Saturday
B-scrambled eggs, fruit and waffles
L-Morningstar “chicken” buffalo wings (they’re vegetarian) and fries
D-might be going out for dinner with friends

Sunday
B-scrambled eggs, biscuits, fruit
L-whatever is left over in the fridge (don’t wanna waste food)
D-homemade burger and fries or leftovers from the week

Snacks throughout the week are fruit, Noosa yogurt (best yogurt EVER) and mixed nuts. I also drink various herbal teas throughout the day and night.

So this is my attempt to eat out less often and have actual nutritious foods in the home. Hopefully it works! Hope you’ll join me in MPM

Crockpot Chicken Salsa
4 frozen chicken breasts (can use thawed, just don’t cook as long)
2 cans black beans – drained and rinsed
1 bag frozen corn
1 jar salsa (your choice, we like it spicey and I use 2
1 block cream cheese (I use the 1/3 less fat version)
Cumin to taste

Put everything except cream cheese in crockpot (be sure chicken is frozen). Cook on high 6 – 8 hours. When there are about 30 minutes remaining, drop in cream cheese. If I’m home, I’ll stir while cooking. To shred chicken – stir it all up towards the end. Blend in cream cheese and serve over tortilla chips, over rice or with tortillas – or with anything else you’d like! We like to top it with sour cream and cheese when we serve it over rice.

Meatless Monday-black bean soup

I freaking LOVE this soup! It is super easy to make and tastes delicious. We do not use the sherry in ours, but we added freshly shredded cheddar cheese to each serving. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 cup tomato salsa (plus extra for garnish)
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken broth (vegetable broth can be used)
Sour cream (1 dollop per serving)
Lime (optional)
Dry sherry (optional)

Directions
Heat the salsa in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about five minutes. Stir in the beans and broth, then heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool slightly, then spoon half the soup into a food processor or blender and puree. Return the pureed soup to the saucepan and heat through. Serve with sour cream, additional salsa and a squeeze of lime (optional). Or stir one to two tablespoons dry sherry into each serving.