Menu Planning Monday: Week of October 10

I've been having a rushed weekend and Monday so it took me a while to get this menu plan out. You'll notice that lots of soup is on the menu again. I love soup in the fall! Fortunately, so does Mr. Scrimp.

For a free printable version of this
menu planner, go here

Menu Planning Monday

Oh my goodness, is it Monday again already? Unbelievable! This weekend went by like a flash.

We made it to the farmers market this week, which really helped supplement our food supply since we didn't get much meat from our CSA. The produce available at the market is starting to change and we're seeing fewer delicate, summery vegetables and more apples, squash, and other hardy plants.

For your own free, downloadable menu
planner, go here

That's ok with me, though. We're halfway through September, and I am looking forward to eating more fall foods.

Menu Planning Monday

Wow. The response to last week's printable menu planner was way bigger than I expected! Thanks for visiting, everyone!

This week we weren't able to make it to the farmers market, and our CSA didn't include any meat, so things are a bit slim on the in-stock provisions side. Toward the end of last week we sort of fell away from following the menu plan strictly (read: I didn't bother thawing the tongue) so there are some unexpected leftovers for me to work with, and the rest I'll supplement with a quick trip to the grocery store.

Hummus

Well, it's Monday. The weekend always ends too soon. We had a party over the weekend for the husband's birthday, so this week's recipe will be for the hummus that I made.

I have a lot of goals for my life. One of those goals is to stop eating processed food, if not completely, then at least no more than once or twice a week. Obviously, "processed food" is a pretty big catch-all term, so I check food labels and don't (as a rule) buy things that have ingredients I can't pronounce or find at the grocery store.

Eating this way often costs us a little extra, but not always. This hummus is a good example of when it isn't--grocery store hummus is unreasonably expensive, given how cheap and easy it is to make.

Hummus Recipe (makes approximately 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas
• 1/4 cup tahini*
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• Garlic cloves to taste (guideline: 2-4 cloves)
• Lemon juice to taste (guideline: juice from 1 lemon)
  
• Salt to taste

  Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth. Taste, and tweak seasonings to your preference. Voila! Delicious hummus in ten minutes or less. I keep it in a small pyrex bowl with a lid and it lasts for about 6 hours before it mysteriously disappears (longer if my husband isn't home).

Drizzle with olive oil before serving for an extra bit of tastiness.


*If you can't find or can't afford tahini, try substituting smooth peanut butter. There will be a slight peanut taste to the hummus, but it will still be delicious. Sometimes I even prefer it that way.