Menu Plan Monday – With No Oven!

Remember when I blogged about hoping my harvest-gold oven would be the next appliance to die? Well my wish came true – at the worst time possible! Last Wednesday, right in the middle of baking Christmas cookies my oven decided to quit. The stove top works, and the broiler works, but the oven doesn’t regulate the temperature. It’s either off or 500 degrees – not good for baking!

Side Note: Just before she died, she baked 6 dozen snickerdoodles PERFECTLY. So at least she went out with a bang! I finished my Christmas baking at my Mom’s – it’s a good thing I only live about a mile from her.

So while Hubby and I decide what to do about replacing old “Goldie”, I’m trying to meal plan without using my oven. TRICKY!

• MONDAY: Popcorn Shrimp and Veggies (Hubby got a Fry Daddy for Christmas so we get to try it out on dinner!)
• TUESDAY: Toddler Tuesday – Little Dude can choose from grilled cheese & soup, bacon & eggs or Hamburger Helper
• WEDNESDAY: No Cooking – we’ll be out with family
• THURSDAY: Hors d’ourves (see below)
• FRIDAY: Slow Cooker Garlic Chicken & veggies
• SATURDAY: Split Pea and Ham Soup and home-made bread (left-over ham bone from Christmas dinner put to good use!)
• SUNDAY: Pasta and Meatballs with home-made bread (pulling some sauce and meatballs from the freezer)

Each New Year’s Eve we have hors d’ourves for dinner. Since I’m cooking sans oven, I’m rethinking the appetizers to cook. Maybe we’ll take advantage of the Fry Daddy again and fry some chicken wings. I can make a nice cheese fondue and some home-made bread and veggies to sip. OOh, and I’ve wanted to try making a dip a dip in my slow cooker – maybe artichoke?

I’m sure that soups, slow cooker, or skillet meals will get old fast. Hopefully our decision process won’t take too long. But more on that in another post.

So If you have any suggestions on what to make for dinner without using an oven, I’d love to hear from you!