Menu Plan Monday: Josh’s Birthday {34!}

Happy birthday, Josh!

I've loved each of the 10 years I've known you, Josh!

You know me, I love birthdays, especially of those closest to my heart!  So, since Josh is turning 34 on Monday and it’s Memorial Day, and he was born shortly after my mother-in-law left a Memorial Day picnic, it seems fitting to celebrate with a barbecue.  So, Josh will grill something delicious, and he asked for German potato salad and chocolate bread pudding.   I will also make him coconut cream pie, because as he says it himself, he “never met a pie he didn’t like.”  See below for recipes. 

• Monday: Birthday BBQ, German Potato Salad, coconut cream pie, and chocolate bread pudding
• Tuesday: Potato Leek Soup, crusty bread, salad
• Wednesday: Left-Overs
• Thursday: *Arby’s sandwiches, french fries (Thanks to Kate for this link)
• Friday: Turkey Vegetable Soup (amazingly delicious), crusty bread, Caesar salad
• Saturday: Chicken Nuggets, fries, fruit (left-over Arby’s sauce for fries)
• Sunday: Left-Overs

German-Style Potato Salad

4 medium pot’s (about 1 1/4 #) cooked and sliced (skin can be off or on)

4 slices bacon

1/2 c chopped red onion

2-3 stalks of celery, sliced

1/2 c water

1/2 c vinegar

1t sugar

Cook and slice potatoes.  Then, cut the bacon into small pieces and fry the bacon.  While the bacon is finishing cooking, add the water, sugar, and vinegar.  Mix the bacon mixture and the potatoes and add s&p as needed.  Keep at room temp until time to serve.

Coconut Cream Pie

3/4 c sugar

1/4 c cornstarch or 1/2 c flour

3 c milk

4 eggs

1 T margarine/butter

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c flaked coconut, separated into 1 c and 1/2 cup (for toasting for topping)

1 baked pastry shell

whipped cream

For filling, in a med sauce pan, combine sugar and cornstarch or flour.  Gradually stir in milk.  Cook and stir (it will scorch if you don’t keep stirring) over med-hi heat till mixture is thickened and bubbly.  Reduce heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat.

Separate egg yolks from whites, reserving yolks.  Beat yolks with a fork.  Gradually stir 1 c of hot filling into eggs (keeps eggs from scrambling).  Return to pan; bring to a gentle boil.  Cook and stir 2 more minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in marg/butter, coconut, and vanilla.  Pour hot filling into cooled baked pastry shell.

You can do meringue, but I don’t like it.  We cool the pie all day in the fridge and top with whipped cream and toasted coconut.  Thanks, Phyllis, for that tip!

I make my own pastry shell, but you can buy one pre-made.  I usually bake it as I make the filling.

Turkey Vegetable Soup

1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
454g (1 lb.) minced turkey
Garlic powder, oregano, cumin & celery salt
8 cups chicken broth/stock
2 medium potatoes, cut up with skin on
227g (or 1/2 lb.) green beans, cut
3 carrots, cut
227g (or 1/2 lb.) courgette (zucchini), halved & sliced
1 can any kind of beans, drained & rinsed (I use kidney beans!)
(Tabasco, to taste- I omit)
1 cup spaghetti/pasta sauce
1 TBSP dry basil (I use fresh if I have it)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Directions:

Brown the onion in oil.
Add turkey & saute with spices until cooked.  Transfer turkey mixture to a stock pot.
Add broth, potatoes, green beans & carrots and bring to a boil.  Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Add courgette & beans and simmer 10 more minutes, covered.
Meanwhile, stir together in a bowl: more garlic powder, pasta sauce, basil, Parmesan cheese & parsley.
Add above mixture to simmering soup.
Top w/ cooked elbow macaroni and more Parmesan cheese if desired.
(Makes a ton!)

*Tip for Arby’s Sauce: Kate also turned me onto saving an old ketchup squirty container and funneled the sauce into that for easy squirting and storage.

For more menus, check out MPM at Org Junkie.

Related posts:

1. Menu Plan Monday: Asian & Healthy (& a great soup!)
2. Menu Plan Monday: Josh’s Birthday Week!
3. Menu Plan Monday: Asian
4. Menu Plan Monday: 4th Birthday & London!
5. Menu Plan Monday