Friday, February 6, 2009

Menu Planning Mania

As mentioned previously, one of my goals for this new year was to do a better job planning menus and grocery shopping on the weekends. Well, so far, so good. For five weeks, I've been grocery shopping on Saturday mornings. Even though I spend a chunk of time either Friday evening or Saturday morning planning our menu and preparing the list, it's worth it to not be worrying about it on Sunday evenings!

I'm not a picky eater, per se, but I am typically rather particular about what I eat. I like to be "in the mood" for things. Well, one thing I've had to learn through this, in order to not waste food, is to stick to my plan, even when it doesn't fit with the particular cravings I may have. This has been good for me!

So, without further adieu, I'm going to list my menus for the past few weeks. (Sides may or may not be included...depends on my memory.) If you want any of the recipes, let me know and I will post them. I'll share a few in the coming days, when I start to tackle another resolution...updating this blog more frequently.

Week 1
Mon. - sandwiches, chips, oranges
Tues. - mac & tomatoes (C's favorite thing), grilled cheese
Wed. - sesame chicken & broccoli, rice, pineapple
Thurs. - breakfast for dinner (waffles, bacon, eggs)
Fri. - hot dogs, homemade mac & cheese
Sat. - lasagna Rolls, salad, bread, triple layer brownies

Week 2
Mon. - tomato soup & grilled cheese
Tues. - chicken and dumplings, apples
Wed. - leftovers
Thurs. - Italian wedding soup
Fri. - tostadas
Sat. - dinner out

Week 3
Sun. - baked spaghetti
Mon. - red beans & rice, bread
Tues. - leftovers
Wed. - bbq meatballs, smashed potatoes, glazed carrots
Thurs. - ordered pizza (I cheated this night)
Fri. - chicken enchilada soup
Sat. - brisket, roasted potatoes, green beans, apple crostata

Week 4
Sun. - leftovers
Mon. - YH event (my work)
Tues. - paninis with leftover brisket & cheese, sweet potato fries
Wed. - breakfast for dinner
Thurs. - meatball subs, broccoli slaw, chips
Fri. - chicken & wild rice soup, fruit smoothies
Sat. - sandwiches, chips, fruit

Week 5
Sun. - white chicken chili, cornbread
Mon. - spaghetti, bread
Tues. - sandwiches, chips, apples
Wed. - homemade tomato soup, grilled cheese
Thurs. - crispy apricot pork chops, red potatoes, salad
Fri. - chicken stir-fry wraps, rice, pineapple
Sat. - biscuits & gravy (breakfast)

A few things to note about my menu...Phil and C are responsible for Monday nights, because I work late. Thus, that evening is usually something easy. I also realized as I type that there are only a few nights a week where cooking anything more complicated is an option. Most nights we need fast meals, either because we've got somewhere else to be or because we are eating later in the evening. All that to say, it's working for us...and hopefully, it continues to. I'm a little stuck for the next week's menu and always appreciate suggestions.