I am slowing down my pace these last few weeks before the baby comes. My blood pressure has stayed in check and I would like it to stay that way. We are doing “simple” around here and trying to use up some more of the items in our freezer. Here is what I have planned for this week.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday – Spicy Honey Chicken (July Menu), baked potatoes

Tuesday – Burritos (April Menu), mexican rice, guacamole

Wednesday – Asian Peanut Butter Pork** (from Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking) (November Menu), brown rice

Thursday – Baked Chicken Burgers (February Menu), tator tots, green beans

Friday – Leftovers

Saturday – Lunch – frozen pizza

Dinner – Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff, egg noodles, mashed potatoes, corn (we LOVE starch)

Sunday – Lunch – leftovers

Dinner – Carole’s Chili (September Menu), grilled cheese

For more great Menu Plan Monday menu planning ideas visit orgjunkie.com!

If you would like to leave information or helpful hints from your day, feel free to do so in the comments section below. If you wrote about your cooking day on your blog, please link up to the post so that we can read more about your adventure (please link directly to the post and not just your blog).

These stories really do help others to feel there way through their cooking days. And in some cases, even give encouragement to those that are just starting.

Whew, the November menu is out. This means that I can breath a little easier and do a little non-freezer cooking this week. However, I do have to start gearing up and getting ready for my new bundle of joy coming in 5-6 weeks! I am excited and overwhelmed at the same time. Due to my freezer supply I really don’t have to grocery shop this week which is a HUGE plus! Here is our plan.

**Be sure to enter the Family Movie Night Giveaway going on now through 10/6 for a chance to win 4 free movie passes and a box of General Mills cereal.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday – Sausage Gravy & Biscuits, mixed fruit

Tuesday – Date Night – dinner out

Wednesday – Spicy Honey Chicken (July Menu), baked potatoes

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday – Lemon Chicken with Veggies (August Menu), mashed potatoes, vegetable

Saturday – Lunch – Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue (April Menu) , tator tots, vegetable

Dinner – Deconstructed Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts (September Menu), salad

Sunday – Lunch – leftovers

Dinner – Carole’s Chili (September Menu), grilled cheese

For more great Menu Plan Monday menu planning ideas visit orgjunkie.com!

Thanks for joining us again or welcome first time visitors! We are glad you have joined us. You can learn more about the origin of this months menu by listening to the podcast. If you are new and not sure how to get started, read here. For frequently asked questions visit here.

Podcast

• This audio podcast will describe to you the items on sale for the month, the philosophy behind the meal choices and helpful hints for preparing for this months cooking day.
• Listen in the orange player at the top of this post…

Menu

• Included below are the menu items that we will be preparing as part of our Once A Month Cooking (OAMC) BIG DAY. In the printable menu the menu items are listed as single, double, or quadruple depending on how much we need to make on the BIG DAY. The recipes linked below are ONLY for the single batch, to see the amounts we are making on the OAMC BIG DAY you will need to visit the Printable November Menu.

• Appetizers

  • Veggie Pizza
  • Sausage Balls

• Side Dishes

  • Sweet Potato Casserole**
  • Freezer Mashed Potatoes
  • Make-Ahead Butterhorn Rolls**

• Desserts

  • Cranberry Upside Down Cake
  • Frozen Peanut Butter Pie**

• Breakfast

  • Cranberry Cream Cheese French Toast
  • Bacon Brunch Bites

• Dinners

  • Jackie’s Broccoli, (Turkey) & Stuffing Casserole
  • Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
  • Cheesy Broccoli & Rice with (Turkey)
  • Velveeta Cheesy Southwest Meatloaf
  • Sausage & Vegetable Medley**(from Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking)
  • Jody’s (Turkey) & Noodles
  • OAMM’s Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce
  • Asian Peanut Butter Pork** (from Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking)

• Printable November Menu

**Indicates meals that require NO COOKING on your OAMC BIG DAY!

Grocery List

• Included in this spreadsheet you will find a listing of all the items you will need to complete your November OAMC BIG DAY. For more instructions on how to use this, go here.
• Grocery List

Instructions

• These are the step-by-step instructions you will need to quickly and efficiently approach your OAMC BIG DAY!
• Instructions

Labels

We have designed a set of 9 pages of labels designed to be printed on Avery 8163 or equivalent. These labels allow you to have 5 sticker labels for each of the meals that you will be preparing.

• Printable Labels

Helpful Hints/Resources

• How To Navigate the OAMM Menu
• How To Bake A Pumpkin
• Turkey Links:
  • Butterball – Choosing a Turkey
  • USDA – Turkey Basics: Safe Thawing
  • Butterball – Thaw a Turkey – Video
  • USDA – Let’s Talk Turkey – A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey
  • Butterball – Roast a Turkey – Video
• Share Your Recipes: Thanksgiving Appetizers
• Share Your Recipes: Thanksgiving Side Dishes
• Share Your Recipes: Thanksgiving Desserts
• Tips and Stories from other readers

What do you think of November’s menu?

And don’t forget to check out the right sidebar weekly to vote on past month’s menus!

Recipes

Please note that all recipes in this document have been altered (increased quantities) to meet the needs of TWO people participating in a OAM Cooking Day. It is indicated on each recipe whether it has been doubled or quadrupled for your convenience. If you are just one person or would like to make less of a particular recipe, you will need to make the adjustments on your own to the recipe and to the grocery shopping list.

Instructions

• 20-24 pounds of whole turkey will be cooked in your oven or roaster (Jody’s Turkey & Noodles, Cheesy Broccoli & Rice with Turkey, Turkey Shepherd’s Pie, Jackie’s Broccoli, Turkey & Stuffing). This can be frozen and then thawed out before you cook it if you buy it early. (Make sure you allow enough time for thawing before cooking though.)
• 10 pounds of beef – 4 lbs CAN be frozen because we are cooking it before freezing again (OAMM’s Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce). 6 lbs CAN NOT be bought ahead and frozen (Velveeta Cheesy Southwest Meatloaf).
• 4 pounds of sausage (Sausage Balls). This meat can be frozen because we are cooking it before freezing again.
• 24 sausage links – CAN NOT be frozen before our cooking day, unless you cut it into pieces and freeze it in 4 portions of 6 links.
• 2.5lbs Bacon – CAN be frozen because we are cooking it before freezing again (Bacon Brunch Bites, OAMM’s Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce).
• 6 lbs Pork Tenderloion – CAN NOT be frozen before our cooking day, unless you cut it into 1.5 lb portions and place each in a gallon freezer bag.

Thaw

• Any meats you will be using that you have previously frozen.

Night Before:

• Put 20-24 pounds of whole turkey into oven or roaster. Cook according to recommendations suggested for method using. (If you have time, you might want to cook this a day ahead and debone & dice the night before, it will save you LOTS of time on your cooking day).
• Optional (but HIGHLY recommended) – chop up all vegetables, cook rice (Cheesy Broccoli & Rice with Turkey), cook bacon and chop (Bacon Brunch Bites, OAMM’s Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce).

Day of:

Grocery List

• Included in this spreadsheet you will find a listing of all the items you will need to complete your November (Christmas) Once A Month (OAMC)  BIG DAY. You can make a copy of this list and customize it for yourself and your family or use it as is. For more instructions on how to use this, go here.
• Printable Grocery List

Designed to be printed on Avery 8163 or equivalent! Readers who didn’t have labels available suggested just printing them on paper and taping them.

• November Labels 1 – Veggie Pizza, Sausage Balls
• November Labels 2 – Sweet Potato Casserole, Make-Ahead Butterhorn Rolls
• November Labels 3 – Freezer Mashed Potatoes, Blanks
• November Labels 4 – Cranberry Upside Down Cake, Freezer Peanut Butter Pie
• November Labels 5 – Cranberry Cream Cheese French Toast, Bacon Brunch Bites
• November Labels 6 – Jackie’s Broccoli, (Turkey) & Stuffing Casserole, Turkey Shepherd’s Pie
• November Labels 7 – Cheesy Broccoli & Rice with (Turkey), Velveeta Cheesy Southwest Meatloaf
• November Labels 8 – Sausage & Vegetable Medley, Jody’s (Turkey) & Noodles
• November Labels 9 – OAMM’s Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce, Asian Peanut Butter Pork