Menu plan for the week of January 5

Happy 2015, y'all!  My family rang in the New Year on a lake in the great white north.  No really.  On a lake.  We were ice fishing, staying in a rented ice house on 18-22 inches of ice, which was on top of the lake, a about a mile and. Half from shore.  Today, the kids are back at school, and I'm busy putting the house, and my brain, back to order.  I am really looking forward to resuming my ordinary routines.

I've mentioned I'm a bit of a cookbook junkie.  I just love looking at pretty pictures of food and getting new ideas to feed my family.  This weeks' recipes rely heavily on Fix-It and Forget-It 5-ingredient favorites: Comforting Slow-Cooker Recipes by Phyllis Pellman Good, which I've borrowed from the library.  This is the perfect cookbook from which to cook this week.  After the busy-ness of the past several weeks, I don't have the energy, patience, or brain-power to prepare complicated dishes.

OK, let's face it, I don't have the energy, patience, or brain-power to prepare complicated dishes even when it's not the first week of a new year.  Each recipe is simple, having 5 ingredients or less, with minimal prep.  I can just load my crock pot in the morning and forget about supper until it's time to eat.  Love it.

Here's what's coming up on our menu this week.

Supper:

--Sweet and spicy kielbasa, mashed potatoes, green beans

--Chicken and rice casserole, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots

--Beef ravioli casserole, salad

--Cheesy chicken chili, rice, mixed vegetables

--Slow cooker pizza, leftover veggies, salad

--Grilled pork chops, au gratin potatoes, corn

--Pancakes, eggs, bacon, fruit

Other:

--Zesty salsa
--Spaghetti sauce

--Cinnamon swirl bread

--Lasagna soup
--Candy cane kiss peppermint sugar cookies


What are you cooking this week?