Menu plan for the week of September 7

 Hello, friends.  Yes, after a month long hiatus, I'm back with a new menu plan.

What's that?  You didn't notice I was gone?  Oh, well.  It wasn't the first time and it probably won't be the last...

Have y'all heard of #shelftember?  It's this thing invented (? invented doesn't seem like quite the right word, but I'm not really thinking of a more appropriate word, so...invented) by Jordan Page from shelfcooking.com and funcheaporfree.com.  

Jordan explains all about #shelftember here, but in a nutshell, you're supposed to cook mostly from the food you already have on hand, spending only $25 a week on fresh or fill-in items.  Jordan has 10 people in her family (granted, two of them are infants and one is a toddler, and the oldest kid is 10 or 11, and she keeps way more food on hand than I do, but still.  Whoa.  $25 per week).

This might sound familiar (minus the $25 grocery budget part) if you've been around a while.  Every now and then I get the itch to use up random stuff from my fridge, freezer, and pantry.  And I usually tell you about it.  And I sometimes ask for suggestions (did I ever use up those candy canes?  I can't remember if I used them or finally threw them away.  Or maybe they're still in the cupboard?  I'm kind of reluctant to look).  So I thought, eh, why not.  

This week, most of these meals will use something that we've had on hand for a while, and I have a minimal grocery list.  Not $25 minimal, but less than usual.

By the way, if you click that #shelftember link to read about #shelftember, you can scroll down to the bottom to enter to win a chest freezer.  So next #shelftember, you'll have more food on hand to choose from.  

On to this week's menu.

Supper:

• Hamburgers, buns, jello, carrots, grapes
• Nachos with guacamole
• Sausage pepper sandwiches with rice
• Cajun chicken alfredo pasta with veggies
• Pizza, salad
• Grilled steak with mushroom wine sauce, grilled veggies, mashed potatoes
• Hot dogs or brats, buns, carrots, chips

Other:

• There is one other thing I'm planning to make, but it seems silly to add the "other" category for just one thing, doesn't it?  
• I know I'm going to make other other things, but I don't know what they are right now, and I don't have the brain power to think them up.  
• So.  
• Now that this is a more substantial "other"...
• Mexican quinoa with grilled chicken