Menu Plan: Stretching the Stockpile

As a family where the primary earner is a teacher, the last weeks of August and first weeks of September are the tightest time financially for us.  On one hand, we don't need to purchase a lot of lunch items, because my husband isn't packing his lunch every day (he eats leftovers instead). The again, we haven't seen a full paycheck since the end of June. 
 Because I stockpiled so much meat in May, I've been able to meal plan using meat from the freezer, fresh CSA produce, and a dry staple such as rice, pasta, or couscous (which I buy in bulk).


Here's my pantry meal plan for this week:


Monday: Marinated Grilled Chicken, grilled veggies, and biscuits


Tuesday: Hot Dogs (I know -- not very healthy!), sauteed green beans, and cucumber-bean salad


Wednesday: Vegetable Stir Fry with left over chicken and rice (need to use up all the CSA veggies before our next shipment on Thursday_


Thursday: Pork Ribs with Grilled Veggies and Rice


Friday: Pasta Primavera with Chicken


Weekend: Quesadillas with fresh vegetables and fruit (I also put some of the leftover meat in the quesadillas!)


Is this week's meal plan overly exciting? 


Not really. 


But it's affordable, provides an abundance of fresh organic produce (through our CSA), and (hopefully!) is seasoned well enough to keep my family happy.  I'm not a fan of low-fat cooking, by the way. I believe in using natural ingredients in moderation, rather than low-fat or low-calorie foods with a ton of unpronouncable ingredients. That's why much of our food is seasoned with vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, garlic, fresh herbs, and good-quality cheese. A little of the good stuff goes a long way. :)