Weekly Menu Plan

I had to get back in the routine!  Back to work this week.

Our weekly meal plan, with recipe links is up at Southern Sunflower Seeds!

School Routines and Meal Planning

Two years ago, my daughter graduated High School and I thought those good ole school years were gone.  Over were the School Open House nights, Teacher Conferences, homework, forgetting lunch money and filling out TONS of paperwork.  Not to mention band practice, soccer practice, swim practice...football games, soccer games  and swim meets.  I really was OK with experiencing partial empty nesting and quiet evenings.  Until this year.  I am 47 and have a child in Pre-K.  For those that haven't read along, I am raising my nephew.  He has lived with us since May 2011.  We affectionately call him 'Booger Bear'.  Which wasn't because he picks his nose.  But he does, as all little kids do.  Ewww.
So we attended the Open House and have the customary first day of school photos; along with the first day of school paperwork pile.

We called daycare, 'school', because when Bear arrived his 3 sisters already all attended regular school (they live with other family).  We thought calling daycare 'school' would help Bear adjust to moving from in home day care to a structured day care center with other children.  Being excited then helped.  He was even more excited this year.  He is now in "big boy school", as he calls it; along with several of his friends from daycare.

Last week we also had first day of classes at the University where I work.  To say our August has been complete mayhem would be an understatement!  Meal planning has also suffered.  So it's time to reel in the mayhem.  I've planned and shopped today.  It's solid.  And our meals are hopefully designed to keep me out of the kitchen, more than in it.  Bear comes home ready for supper!

My meal planning is only for supper.  Bear eats breakfast and lunch at school.  I am brown bagging lunches in an effort to save a few pennies, because parking is at premium spaces only before 8am and because I really need to drop a few pounds.  Laying off the fast food is best for that! We don't have access to a great microwave, so here is what my brown bag lunches consist of:
- Chicken Salad Sandwiches, with fruit (banana or apple) and a small amount of chips.
- Tuna salad (made with mayo and sliced chucks of Golden Delicious apples) with mini Club crackers.
- Turkey sandwiches, fruit and chips.
- Pasta salad

For Supper this week we are having:

Sunday - Field peas, cornbread; served with homemade salsa
Monday - Leftovers with mac n cheese
Tuesday - Hawaiian Crockpot Chicken, served over rice (new recipe)
Wednesday -  Leftovers
Thursday - Crockpot Baked Potato Bar served with steamed broccoli
Friday - Sloppy Joes with sweet tater fries

How is your school routine?  What's for supper?

Our Summer Suppers

Meal planning keeps me sane.  I can't stand having to constantly run to the grocery store during the week to pick up 4 or 5 items for dinner.  So I usually plan on Saturday's for the week and get the shopping out of the way on the same day.  I love lists and have used them my entire life.  So knowing my list is done and shopping is done really sets me up for a stress free meal time after work during the week.
Even while I have been working like crazy this month, I still planned.  The suppers are just easy breezy...but that is the Summer way of life right???

Here's a few of the ideas from last week and this week's dinner menus:

• Picnics!  We hit our local BBQ stand and head to the Chattahoochee.  I even pack our own bowls to share the stew.   
• Tuna Salad (add boiled eggs and homemade sweet pickles).  Serve as a sandwich or with crackers and fruit.
• Crock pot meals (so we aren't heating up the kitchen and supper is done when I get home from work!) We tried a new cubed steak in the crock pot with gravy.  It was pretty good served up with mashed taters, English peas and frozen buttermilk biscuits.   Another crock pot meal is 'baked' potatoes.  We recently cooked up Field peas all day in the crock pot; added cornbread and called it Yummy!  The next day we ate leftover peas and I cooked up some mac n cheese to stretch the meal out one more night.
• Grilling out - Hot dogs, chicken and hamburgers with baked beans and chips or fries as sides.
• Breakfast - Pancakes with fruit, biscuits and scrambled eggs - whatever you love for breakfast, we will eat it for supper.  
• Sandwiches  - variety:  Deli meat on sub rolls, tomato sliced, banana, pbj - eaters choice and whatever we have in the frig.
• Salads - with tons of toppings: ham, bacon bits, croutons, cheese, boiled eggs.
• Hot Meals - We usually save the hot meals for Sunday in the Summer, like last weekend where we cooked up a huge mess of Salmon patties, 5 lbs of creamed taters, a pan of homemade from scratch biscuits and English peas. We invited the family down for swimming and to help us polish off the fixings.
• Garden Fresh - Veggies, cantaloupe and watermelon.  We really didn't plan a garden this year; so we are picking up items at the Farmer's Market or if we are real lucky, leftover's from the neighbors garden pickings.  However, we did grow a few of these

along with wild watermelons and cantaloupe from last year's seeds left in the ground! 

What do your Summer meals look like? Garden pickings...Grilling outdoors...Same ole Same ole rotating meals? 

Weekly Meal Plan

Yes, I have been meal planning, just haven't had a ton of time to post.  It is all Hectic month!  Out of the next 4 weeks at work, I have 4 days the entire month that doesn't have a Freshman Orientation at the University.  Did I say that during Orientations I do a presentation?  Sometimes I do 4 a day, others only twice a day.  Not to mention a ton of other duties.  This old gal is dragging in the evenings.  So our meal plans reflect KISS.  Keeping it simple sassy.  ;-)   Plus it's been hot and stuffy in Georgia, so the less I heat up the kitchen, the better.

Monday -  Sloppy Joes, Potato Salad and fresh cantaloupe
Tuesday -  Sandwich Bar  (deli meats, cheese, veggie toppings) with leftover Potato Salad
Wednesday - Salad Bar  (lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, shredded cheese, chopped ham, boiled eggs, croutons)
Thursday - Pancakes with fresh fruit salad (cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, bananas)
Friday - Crock Pot Loaded Baked Potatoes with steamed broccoli
Saturday - Grilled Chicken, baked beans and anything leftover (broccoli, salads, fruit)

I am trying to figure out how to cook up some things on the weekend that can be mixed into meals for the week.  Like brown hamburger meat for fast tacos or maybe freeze some meatballs.  Although I normally do fairly quick and easy meals, I need them quicker and easier this month.  And let's not forget 'cheap'.  Ha!

What is your favorite fast, easy, go to summer supper meal?

What's for Supper? Week of 4.2.12

Quick post for my menu this week.  We are having temps near 90 this week!  Craziness for the first of April.  I kept that in mind while building the menu plan; so I wouldn't be heating up the house with a hot oven.  Pretty simple week with one roll over meal that we didn't get to last week.

Monday - Apple Ham Paninis with fresh fruit/yogurt mix  (roll over meal0

Tuesday - Homemade Honey Fruit Chicken Salad  with sliced cantaloupe and crackers

Wednesday - Breakfast - Biscuits, scrambled eggs and cantaloupe

Thursday - Crock pot baked potatoes with steamed broccoli 

Friday - Tacos with black beans (maybe?)

What's for supper at your house this week?

I would LOVE for you to leave a comment with your menu.  Or even what is for supper tonight.  I need the ideas.  Ha!  For other ideas, visit Organizing Junkie's Monday Menu Plan link up with 100's of links.

Supper? or Dinner? Menu Plan

Do you call your last meal of the day Supper or Dinner? 

We usually say supper.  Maybe it's a Southern thang? Here is what we are having for supper this week:

Sunday - Sandwiches and fresh fruit  (We had a big family lunch)

Monday -  Meatballs over Mashed Potatoes with Gravy and steamed broccoli

Tuesday -  Breakfast; biscuits, scrambled eggs, bacon with fresh cantaloupe and homemade jelly

Wednesday - Church Egg Hunt  (they will serve hot dogs with the fixings)

Thursday - Pasta Salad

Friday - Ham Panini Sandwiches with yogurt fruit salad 

Supper Menu Plan 3.11.12

Technically my menu plan for the week usually runs from Saturday to Friday.  I usually grocery shop for the week on Saturday.  This week, I had everything for Saturday's meal; so I procrastinated until today to head into town.  My 20 year old daughter decided to bake cupcakes last night.

I may or may not have eaten 2 of them.  Without sprinkles.
No recipes this week, just easy standby meals.
Saturday (we had) - Fried chicken (leftover family pack of thighs) with creamed potatoes, english peas, biscuits and gravy.  I said this was more of an after church Sunday lunch, where you invite the preacher over.
Sunday - Grilled hamburgers, fries and baked beans (taking advantage of the beautiful weather!)
Monday - Field peas and cornbread
Tuesday - Leftover peas, cornbread with mac-n-cheese
Wednesday - Spaghetti with garlic toast
Thursday - Clean out the Frig
Friday - Pizza

For more menu plan ideas check out the Organized Junkie weekly Menu Plan Monday for over 300 links.

What day is your grocery shopping day?


Coming up Wednesday - Another 'Goodwill Glamorous Fashion' post; where my cheap shopping skillz morph into professional work wear.  Sometimes the outfits are just down right entertaining.  

What's for Dinner? Menu Plan 3.4.12

When I sat down yesterday to plan this week's dinner menu out I found it came a lot easier than last week's planning.  For those of you contemplating menu plans, starting and sticking with it, even when you are feeling uninspired, makes it easier.  Take it from me, one who does it weekly.  I planned yesterday, then headed out to the grocery store.  Now I am stocked up for the week!  Here is what we are having  for dinner this week down on the farm:

Last night, Saturday, we had Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo with garlic bread.  Simple, easy.

Sunday - Lemon Chicken (new recipe for us),  with leftover Broccoli Fettuccine Alfred

Monday - Baked Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans and cornbread

Tuesday - Clean out the frig  (I have a huge event at work this day, so I planned no cooking).

Wednesday - Sloppy Joes, with baked beans and fries

Thursday - Breakfast:  biscuits, scrambled eggs and sausage

Friday - Pizza

Is meal planning easy or hard for you?

Linking in with:  Organizing Junkie

Easy Menu Plan 2.26.12

Source

Do you ever get in a rut where you just don't feel like cooking?  Here's the cold hard truth.  I so feel the above question for the last couple of weeks.  I may or may not have strayed off the meal plan track last week.  Bet you know which, huh?  A dear reader posted a comment last week and asked how I do it 'all'.  Sometimes the best laid plans just simply don't stop life from happening.  However, having a plan sure helps.  At least I know the groceries are in the house, even if I end up serving a frozen pizza.  ;-)  So this week's plan is on the easy side.

Sunday - Fend for yourself.  Trust me, no one went hungry.

Monday - Crock pot roast with potatoes

Tuesday - Roast beef gravy (using leftover beef) over loaf bread

Wednesday - Mac-n-Cheese with steamed broccoli

Thursday - French Toast

Friday - Pizza (possibly frozen or take out)

For more ideas check out Menu Plan Monday

What are you cooking up this week? 

This busy mom needs to know! ;-)

Ring the Dinner Bell! This Week's Menu

Source

We actually have dinner bell hanging at our driveway on the farm.  It's past dark-thirty here, or I would run out and snap a picture for you!  Maybe I can grab one this week for my next dinner menu post.
I had a crazy week at work playing tour guide and hostess to consultants visiting from out of town.  Luckily last week's plan left us eating more leftovers than expected.  Today I finally cooked Friday's new recipe.

The recipe makes a huge meal.  My photo was taken after we had spooned out several plates.
Sunday - Cheesy Hamburger Skillet   This is like Hamburger Helper, except homemade.  It has more flavor than the box meal.
Monday - Leftovers  (Cook chicken for tomorrow night's meal)
Tuesday - My Easy Chicken Pot Pie 
Wednesday - Lasagna with Garlic Toast
Thursday - Chili (from the freezer) with fresh cornbread
Friday -  Pizza or Breakfast for Dinner

What's for dinner at your house?

I could use more ideas!  Even after pulling from my Master Menu list; I just wasn't feeling it this week.  Maybe it's because I am super tired after last week?  I'll be checking out the links for ideas at this party:

Want to participate in my 1st ever Sponsorship Swap for March?  Read all about it HERE.

Valentine's Week Menu Plan

Here is what we are eating for dinner/supper this week; tried n true meals, one special and one new recipe to try.  

Saturday - We had:  Salmon patties, homemade creamed potatoes, English peas and biscuits

Sunday - Pinto's (with pork) and cornbread

Monday - Leftover pintos with mac-n-cheese

Tuesday (Valentine's Day) - Broccoli Chicken Alfredo with Garlic bread (One of our favorites)

Wednesday - Clean out the Frig

Thursday - Breakfast for dinner

Friday - Cheesy Hamburger Skillet (new)

Need more ideas for your menu planning?  Check out hundreds of links at:  

Menu Plan Monday with The Organizing Junkie

What are you eating on Valentine's Day?  A special meal at home or going out?  

Menu Plan 2.4.12

Last week was a fly by the seat of my pants week!  I planned my menu on Friday evening, then life went wild.  I received a call to take a family member Goodwill shopping at my favorite GW store.  How could this thrift addict say no?  As I was pulling back in the drive, family was visiting from out of state and everyone was heading out to eat.  So I ran in the house, dropped the goods and ran back out.  Sunday, I had to work and had planned to go grocery shopping after that.  However, I wore a 'new to me' pair of shoes that ended up NOT being a wise choice!  The shoes are comfy, but not for standing 3 solid hours on a tile floor.  No way I could walk a big box grocery in those shoes!  So we made out with what we had in the cabinets and freezer on the fly.  This week it is back to a plan and I shopped on Friday, as I had the day off.  So here is my plan a bit early.

Saturday - Chicken Ranch Tacos with black beans and Mexican rice (I'm using soft shells and chicken from the freezer)

Sunday - Crock pot Roast (secret recipe) with carrots and potatoes, served with rolls
Letting the pot do the cooking, so we can watch the Super Bowl.  Yay!  Ok, I'm not really a huge football fan.  The game will be on though.  

Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - Zesty Italian Baked Chicken over rice, with steamed broccoli

Wednesday -  Chili with cornbread

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Pizza or a night out

Ok Sherri, why is there this random photo in your menu plan post?  Well, I will tell you!  It's my recent secret recipe discovery that makes my 'crock pot roast' simply DELICIOUS!  Mix one pack of Onion soup mix with the beef broth and pour it over the roast to cook on low 6-8 hours.  Results in a tender, juicy roast with a dipping sauce if you prefer.  Ya know that fancy French term.... Au jus.  ;-)   Leftovers the next night are usually roast beef sandwiches dipped in the sauce.  Yummy, I promise!
For other great menu plan ideas check out....

Organizing Junkie

Menu Plan 1.22.12

Last week's menu offered up more leftovers than expected, so I was able to roll some unused meals into this week's plan.  The purpose of menu planning is to have something in the pantry or freezer READY to cook and avoid extra trips to the grocery store (I shop once a week).  You can read my easy tips on how I plan HERE.  I usually menu plan on Saturday morning and shop Saturday or Sunday; cause I hate going to the grocery store after working all day.  With having to work next Sunday, I am planning a bit further than usual.

Last week's Easy Chicken-n-dumpling noodles

Sunday - Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (new recipe) with English peas ***Edited to add:  This was easy and was OH SO delicious!  It will be placed on our Master Menu List.  

Monday - Lasagna with Garlic bread  (rolled over from last weeks menu)

Tuesday - Leftovers (if not, then Breakfast - because we didn't have it last week, thanks to plenty of leftovers)

Wednesday - Sloppy Joes with sweet tater fries and slaw

Thursday - Leftovers or fend for yourself

Friday -  Pizza

Saturday - Field peas with Hashbrown Casserole 

Sunday - Leftover peas and casserole  (I have to work)

Need more menu ideas and inspiration?  Check out the Organizing Junkie's Monday Menu link up.

What's cooking up in your kitchen this week?

Weekly Menu Plan 01.15.12

Enjoying a three day weekend after a long busy work week.  Bitter cold came barreling into Georgia on Friday and hung around for Saturday.  I wanted a lazy day, so I skipped heading out on Saturday for my weekly shopping.  Will have to go by Monday to stay on the plan.  Thankfully, this menu plan keeps me with a short grocery list!  Plus I planned for leftovers on Tuesday, when I head back into the office. 

Saturday - Roast beef gravy over loaf bread (used up the last of the leftover roast beef)

Sunday - Potato Soup and grilled cheese

Monday - Easy Chicken-n-dumplings (using pasta noodles)

Tuesday - Leftovers

Wednesday - Crock pot Pork Chops with Gravy  This was a HIT the first time around.

Thursday - Breakfast for dinner

Friday - Lasagna, garlic bread, salad
Need more ideas?  Check out the Organized Junkie's Monday Menu Plan link up party.

Easy Menu Planning How 2

Was one of your resolutions to save time? Save money? or to be more organized?  Well, meal planning is for you!  It will help you with all three.  Once you get in a routine of planning your meals, it really is easy.  Are you a list maker?  Then you would LOVE meal planning!  I'm a listee (def: person that makes a ton of lists).
Planning can be as easy or as complicated as YOU want it to be.  Being a mom that works an 8-5 outside the home; I prefer easy, simple and quick! Which means doing the prep work, making out the menu and grocery list usually takes me 20-30 minutes.  Do you think you could plan for 30 minutes once a week to save yourself 30 minutes every evening just trying to come up with 'what's for dinner'?  And what if you are missing an ingredient?  Oh you have to run to the grocery store to pick it up?  Add 30-60 additional minutes, because of traffic, lines at the store and running into that old school friend you haven't seen in years.  Tired yet?  You still have starving children at home. ;-)
Not to mention, you just blew your budget because you picked up the ONE ingredient you needed, plus that ice cream you were craving, the cereal the kids were begging for and a couple of other things.
Let's try to make this EASY mmmm k?
Here is how I do it.  By no means am I some expert!  However, I can tell you it saves me time, it saves me money, and it saves my sanity after a long day at the office.

1. Think about your week:  I plan on Friday evening or Saturday morning; so I can grocery shop on Saturday for the next week.  Our menu plan typically runs from Sunday to Friday night.  Check out your schedule to see if you need a quick meal.  Example: I'm working late one night this week and letting my crockpot do the work for me.  Start your plan on whatever day is most convenient for you (the morning or day before you plan to go grocery shopping).
2. Check last week's menu plan:  Did you skip making a meal last week due to something unexpected?  You can pull that meal into this week because you still have all the ingredients!  Remember menu planning is giving yourself flexibility.  Forgot to lay the meat out to thaw, pick another meal for that night and rotate things around.
3. Find recipes or check your Master List:  You can pull out your cookbooks, search the web or just do what I do:  Have a Master List of meals our family likes and rotate those into our plans.  Want a master list?  Just sit down with a pen and paper, begin writing down meals you usually cook.  I also keep bookmarks of favorite recipes found around the web on my computer.  Remember to check your cupboard and freezer for meal ideas using what you have on hand.
4. Fill in your Menu Plan:  It can be as simple as a list on a notebook or use something that keeps you a bit more organized.  Want a nifty printable plan with a grocery list?  HERE is one by via Eat at Home blog.  My mom gave me a neat 2012 weekly calendar for Christmas that has magnets on it.  Sticks right to the frig.  Perfect for planning the next night's meal and the family can see what we are eating for dinner.  

5.  Grocery Shop:  Now that you have a plan, you can make a list of everything that is needed for your meals.  Remember to add anything else you need around the house, like toilet paper so you can avoid those unexpected mid-week trips back to the grocery store.

If you want to plan every meal, go for it!  Generally I only plan our dinners, because Bear eats breakfast and lunch at daycare.  On the weekend we usually have a simple breakfast of cereal, pancakes, toast/scrambled eggs, oatmeal or even a store bought poptart.  Lunches for me are either brown bag, leftovers or something quick a the U (love that we have a Subway).
Now sit back and actually ENJOY dinner time this week!  You can be proud of yourself too.  Because you:

• Stuck to your budget by buying only things you need (via your grocery list)
• Saved time in the grocery store by having your list and not staring blindly at the shelves trying to think up ideas in the middle of the isle. 
• Less stress in the evenings, because you have a plan!  No more dinner time panics.
• And my favorite:  The kids KNOW what is for supper because the list is posted.  No more "What's for dinner Mom?"

Are you with me?  Share your menu planning ideas!

Linked up with others sharing menu planning ideas at:  Crystal and Company

Busy Week Menu Plan

It will be a busy, very tiring, long week for me as spring semester classes begin Monday at the U.  Our office is always swamped and I don't always clear the door at quittin time.  Add in one night scheduled late and we need easy meals this week, with help from my beloved crock pot.

Tuesday, I would like to share with you how I actually plan out our menu - from choosing meals to grocery shopping.  So if you are interested in a menu planning routine for the New Year, but are unsure of how to get started; I have a 5 simple tips.
Sunday - Chicken Pot Pie
Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - Loaded Baked Potatoes and Broccoli
Wednesday - Crock Pot Roast and au jus with potatoes and rolls (use the recipe for a tender roast!)
Thursday - Roast Beef Sandwiches with sweet tater fries
Friday - Taco's and refried beans

That's what we are eating this week.  What about you?  Need ideas?  Check out over 400 menu plan links, with recipes at The Organizing Junkie every Monday.

Our first Menu Plan of 2012

Although I haven't shared my menu planning each week; I kept at it.  I know I've said it before, several times; but it really helps.  I save time shopping (grocery store - once a week), I save money by having a grocery list and I keep my sanity by not frying brain cells that are exhausted when I clock out at 5pm trying to think up something to feed the family.

I did share my New Year's Eve Menu.  Everything happened as planned; tasty, simple and fun.

I tried a new easy peasy recipe for appetizer meatballs...oh they were Yummy!  Plus there were fancy decorated box cupcakes.  Ok so I cheated, I admit it.  ;-)

Now that your mouth is watering, let's get to this week's menu plan.

It's turning off FRIGID this week after temps in the low 60's during the day.

Cold weather, crazy work week = Soup meals!

Monday - Field peas, cornbread, Mac-n-cheese

Tuesday - Tater soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - Veggie Soup with cornbread

Friday - Leftover soup with sandwiches

Saturday - Open, maybe a night out?
For other great ideas on menu planning and lists of menu's check out Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday link party.

What are you having for dinner?