I like to develop the weekly menus on Friday, grocery shop on Saturday, and start the week's menus on Sunday.

Happy Labor Day - This Saturday is the start of the holiday weekend! I can't believe the end of summer has arrived. I hope you are celebrating with family and friends to enjoy the last weeks of great outdoor picnicking prime time.

I will be serving Cincinnati Chili for a Crowd on Saturday because my family will begin arriving throughout the day and chili is even better the longer it simmers on the stove. The appetizer course will keep the casual mood going with the 'Tail Gater': Cheese Cube Assortment; Veg Tray, Apple Slices; Savory Herb & Pecan Dip Mix ; Hot Pepper Raspberry Preserves over Cream Cheese; Aged Cheddar Beer Crackers and Simple Water Crackers; and Sesame Almond Cocktail Snack Mix.

You will find that I use several cooking methods, mix and match, to get dinner on the table quickly! (The ingredients in parenthesis show some of my quick-prep steps.) You can always substitute your favorite made-from-scratch recipes when you have more time.

I hope you have a great week!

Sunday:
Lamb Chops with Savory Butter
Rice and Vermicelli Mix (boxed mix)
Parslied Carrots (bagged baby carrots)
Beet / Goat Cheese / Walnut Salad (canned beets, chopped walnuts, jarred vinaigrette)
Minted Pears with Ice Cream and Raspberries (canned pears, purchased ice cream; purchase extra ice cream for Thursday and Saturday)

Monday:
Tuna Burgers
Buns and Condiments (purchased sandwich buns, jarred condiments)
Cheesy Potatoes (shredded cheddar cheese)
Slaw (bagged slaw mix, jarred slaw dressing)
Rocky Road Brownies (boxed brownie mix; save any remaining brownies for Saturday)

Tuesday:
Bistro Chicken (canned tomatoes, jarred salad dressing, shredded mozzarella cheese)
Rice or Pasta (purchased rice or pasta)
Fresh Green Beans
Caramelized Peaches and Cream

Wednesday:
Easy Cheeseburger Pie (baking mix, shredded cheese)
Steamed Zucchini
Tomato Wedges with Blue Cheese
Sugar Cookie Apple Crisp (prepared cookie dough, canned apple pie filling)

Thursday:
Tortellini Rustica with Fresh Vegetables (vegetarian; prepared tortellini, grated Parmesan cheese)
Three Pepper Salad (jarred Italian salad dressing)
Quick Tortoni and Seasonal Berries (purchased coconut macaroon cookies and ice cream, frozen whipped topping)

Friday:
Sauteed Chicken and Mushrooms (boneless, skinless chicken breasts or cutlets, sliced mushrooms)
Roasted Red Potatoes with Green Beans (frozen veggie mix)
Baked Granola Apples (purchased cereal)

Saturday:
Cincinnati Chili for a Crowd (Cinci chili 5 ways with noodles, shredded cheese, onions, beans, or plain)
Condiment Bar (jarred salsas and relishes with sour cream)
Citrus and Avocado Salad (jarred citrus)
Stacked Brownies (purchased brownies, ice cream, and chocolate syrup)

I sincerely hope you have fun with your meal planning and preparation.