Meals of the Week, October 27th - November 2nd, 2024

Happy Sunday and welcome to my weekly Meals of the post!  On Sundays I like to do a bit of a roundup of all the delicious meals that I have enjoyed as my main meals over the past seven days! That’s a whole lot of tasty going on!  I enjoy sharing these and you seem to enjoy seeing them!

As a person who lives on their own it is a bit of a challenge to cook a delicious meal for myself every day. It can often seem like too much work, or not worth the time. The temptation can be there to want to just open a tin can or to pop a frozen dinner or ready meal into the microwave.  I would be lying if I said that those days don’t happen, but by and large I do try to cook something tasty and hopefully (but not always) healthy for myself. There are times when even I break down and am lacking in time, energy and inspiration. Thankfully those times are few and far between!

Most days I will have a protein shake for breakfast.  As an older person it can sometime be difficult to eat enough protein.  These shakes are low in sugar and fat and are loaded with fiber and protein.  I buy the mix online and simply shake some together with milk. Easy and delicious and quite healthy. Sometimes I will also have some fruit.

I usually have my main meal around midday unless I am eating out or at someone else’s home. I don’t like to eat a large meal later in the day. The older me doesn’t like going to bed with a full stomach.

Suppers are usually quite simple.  Sometimes a bowl of soup, or a salad, some fruit.  Sometimes a bowl of cereal with some fruit. (I love my homemade granola with some Greek yogurt and date syrup) It is also a bit of a challenge to get in my five a day.  So, salads, and fruit are great supper options for me.

As a senior living on a fixed income, I also have to watch my pennies and so that figures into things as well. I know I am not alone in that and with the cost of food these days, it is really necessary to watch my pennies.

So, having said all of that, here are my meals of the week for this past seven days, along with any menu suggestions that might help!  I hope you will be inspired to want to cook a few of these for yourself! 

SUNDAY, October 27th - Sunday Dinner at Cindy’s

On Sunday I enjoyed my usual Sunday dinner at my sisters.  She cut up one of the whole chickens she had bought and roasted the pieces in the oven. She served this with French Onion Rice and vegetables. It was delicious.  We had apple crisp with whipped cream for dessert!

I am sharing my recipe for Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs (see photo above).  Chicken, herbs and lemon are a wonderful trinity of taste, especially when you throw garlic into the mix! I think you are really going to love this method of preparation I am sharing today!

MONDAY, October 28th – Garlic Steak Bites with French Onion Rice.

The star here was the French Onion Rice.  Rich and delicious, I could eat a whole plate of this and nothing else.  I enjoyed a portion on the day and then froze the rest in single serving portions to enjoy another time.

To freeze, divide into small zip lock baggies, press flat and press out all of the air in the package. Place onto a baking sheet and freeze flat.  Remove and then place the flat frozen baggies of rice into a larger zip lock baggie and seal.  Return to the freezer.  These thaw out beautifully and only need a gentle reheating in the microwave, until thoroughly heated through.

I enjoyed this with some steak bites and yellow beans!

TUESDAY, October 29th – Creamy Italian Sausage with Bow Ties

I was feeling very much like enjoying some pasta on Tuesday. I had small, flattened packs of Italian sausage frozen from the last time my sister and I had made our own sausage. I decided to use some of that to make this easy and delicious Pasta dish.

One thing which I really enjoy about this dish is that everything cooks all in the one pan. Sausage, sauce, pasta. 

The sauce is rich and flavor-filled with the perfect ratio of sauce to pasta. The quickness and ease of preparation, plus the deliciousness of it makes for a dish that I like to enjoy often.  All you need on the side is a salad and some crusty bread. It makes for a delicious and simple supper.

This is a fabulously tasty and easy bake. Just throw it together and pop it into the oven. I like to serve it with gravy, potatoes and vegetables on the side.

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