Monday:  Macaroni and Cheese, Steamed Broccoli, Campari Tomatoes, Rolls

I made Macaroni and Cheese last week and put some in the freezer and a casserole in the fridge for tonight's dinner.  Mondays are such busy days that I decided to take a page from the old "Washday Monday" tips to make an easy to prepare meal.  The Campari tomatoes were on sale this past week and they are tasty little tomatoes, ranging from ping pong ball to golf ball sizes with a nice acidity that reminds me of homegrown tomatoes during my childhood years.  While they were about 50cents a pound higher than the other types on sale, the extra flavor makes that added expense well worth it.

Tuesday:  Beef Stew, Coleslaw, Corn Fritters, Ambrosia

I bought a big boneless chuck roast last week during my Big Shop and cut it in half prior to freezing.  I cut one portion into cubes to use in stew.  This meat was more than $1/pound less than stew beef, and slow cooking ensures tenderness.  Also on sale, fresh Georgia corn (still in season here).  I bought 8 ears, cut four in half and boiled for lunch on Thursday when the boys stopped by, and then cut the remaining fresh corn from the cobs.  My cookbook recommends draining freshly cut corn and then combining with ingredients to fry into light and fluffy cakes.  It's a nice change from cornbread or dumplings.  Oranges are in season now too, making them well priced for eating in a variety of ways.

Wednesday:  Ham Steaks, Scrambled Cheese Eggs, Toast, Pear Butter

BFS is always a money saver.  I will cut a 1 pound ham slice in half for our family and then cut that into serving portions.  If  your family is larger, or you have guests, let the eggs (the cheaper item on the menu) be the bulk of the meal.  Chance's partner made a pear butter and sent home a jar for us to eat.  Oh my goodness gracious!  I've eaten nearly half a jar already.   On morning toast, in peanut butter sandwiches.  I'm going to have to start being stingy with it, though, it's disappearing too rapidly!

Thursday:  Smoked Beef Sausage, Potatoes au Gratin, Green Peas, Apple Slices

While this may well look to be separate dishes, it is in honesty a casserole.  A friend of mine from a former workplace used to make this casserole at the end of a workday and she would come in the next day and rave about how good it was.  I never tried it until nearly 15 years later.  Why on earth did I wait so long?  It truly is good!  Layer sliced potatoes, onions and cheese in casserole dish, sprinkling frozen peas throughout.  Lay a 1 pound link of smoked sausage atop the potatoes, cover with lid and bake in a slow oven until potatoes are tender and sausage cooked through.  To speed up the meal, use parboiled potatoes instead of raw.  Yummy!

Friday:  Herbed Pork Loin Roast,  Roasted Asparagus, Baked Potatoes, Garlic Cheese Rolls, Moist Chocolate Cupcakes 

Because the pork loins were so well priced I bought the whole loin and cut into a little bigger roasts than I normally would for our family.  I plan at least two meals from each roast and anticipate getting three from this one.  One meal will be BBQ sandwiches for lunch next week.  Another meal will be the sandwiches for tomorrow night's supper.  Tonight we'll eat sliced pork loin with vegetables.  The chocolate cupcake recipe is new to me.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Saturday:  Cuban Sandwiches, Tortilla Chips, Guacamole, Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

Thin slices of pork roast will be placed on crusty rolls which have been spread with a tapenade of ripe and green olives, mayonnaise and spicy brown mustard, with slices of Pepper Jack cheese.  Kay loves guacamole but hates avocados...Go figure!  I know she'll eat homemade guacamole and I'll be lucky to get even a spoonful of it.

Sunday:  Roast Whole Chicken, Sweet Potato Fries, Broccoli Salad, Apple Pie 

I think nearly everything on my menu this week was on sale!  I love that these meals are all good bargains.  We'll likely get three meal from this chicken, too.  I'm thinking we'll have enough leftover for chicken sandwiches for our Sunday night supper and then the carcass will be cooked and the bits of meat will go into chicken salad for lunch sandwiches or salads in the coming week. 

The broccoli also was on sale, so I doubled up and bought twice as much as I typically do.  The salad is easy to make and so tasty: raw broccoli florets, diced sweet red onion, dried craisins or raisins, and a sweet vinaigrette dressing. Toasted pecans, almonds or walnuts are a nice addition as well. 

For a different flavor today's apple pie will be seasoned with lemon zest and no cinnamon.  It's amazing the difference that simple change makes in an apple pie.