Monday Meal Planning 2.10

I've hit the point in pregnancy where my eyes are definitely bigger than my stomach. I get starving hungry, but my stomach is pretty squished right now (and sometimes getting kicked), so I can only eat a small amount at a time. This means that I have to eat several times a day to prevent falling into a sniveling, starving mess, because I don't handle being that hungry very well. I've also hit the point of pregnancy (or possibly just life) where easier is better. I just don't have the energy to do a whole lot at a time, so my meals are getting pretty simple in scope. Not that they were every very difficult, just that I'm using this as more of a consideration when I'm picking out recipes for the week.

Monday: Rice Fried Vegetables

This was a pretty tasty and relatively easy dish to make. We used white rice instead of brown (because I fell asleep on the couch after work instead of starting the rice which takes about an hour to make), spinach instead of kale (because we had it on hand), and left out the peas (because Aaron's not a huge fan). Very easy, aside from a little chopping and satisfied my craving for veggies. I'm sure you could substitute any vegetables you have on hand and it will be just as good. Just watch out for spitting ginger - as soon as I put it in the pan it started sputtering and flying everywhere, and hot ginger hitting bare skin is not exactly pleasant. I don't know how to solve this problem, though, so from now on I'll just throw in the ginger and cover it quickly with a lid.

Tuesday: Chicken Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Coconut Rice

Again, easy and delicious. It also fits with my near-constant curry craving. The craving is near-constant because there are times when I'm craving Mexican food instead. At least Aaron knows how to easily please me when I whine about being hungry.

Anyway, this recipe has been on my too-cook list for a while, mostly because of the curry but also because of the sweet potatoes which are something else I can never get enough of. It took me less than 10 minutes to get the stuff ready to throw in the crock pot, and the normal amount of time to cook the rice, so it definitely fit my "simple" requirement for the week.

Wednesday: Appetizers for dinner

OK, so I lied when I said I had only two near-constant cravings. The third is bread, which has been a constant throughout my whole pregnancy thus far. So I put together dinner with two toppings for bread: Spinach Artichoke Dip and Bruschetta. I halved the Spinach Artichoke recipe except for the artichokes because Aaron and I both LOVE artichokes, and it worked out perfectly.

For the Bruschetta, I simply chop up a couple of tomatoes (romas are usually what I use, but whatever looks best at the store will work), mix with garlic, olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar, and chopped basil. I also brush the bread with a little garlic infused olive oil and broil until toasted. Yummy!

Thursday: Beef Stroganoff with buttered noodles, Green Beans

This is my mom's recipe and it's one of my favorites. It's also incredibly easy, so that's why it made the menu this week.

Slice up some beef (desired amount, but about a half pound sirloin steak is what I use for Aaron and I) into thin strips. Also cut into thin strips: one medium onion and one medium green pepper. Quarter some button mushrooms. Heat some oil or butter in a skillet and saute onions, mushrooms and green peppers until tender. Toss in the beef and cook until desired doneness (is that even a word?). Next mix together some Dijon mustard and sour cream, with the ratio to your taste and usually depending on how much you like mustard. I usually mix together a cup of sour cream and a couple of tablespoons of mustard. Throw this into the pan and stir to melt and coat. Serve over lightly buttered egg noodles with steamed green beans on the side.

And....that's all she wrote this week because we ate out two nights and tonight we're eating leftovers from yesterday's shower (which was wonderful, and I will update as soon as someone sends some pictures).