So this is a week of crazy evenings! Between kids and their choir concerts and NerdDad being out 1 night, dinner needs to be easy!!!
Monday: Beef roast, broccoli, potatoes
Tuesday: Corned Beef, potatoes, broccoli
Wednesday: Shrimp and noodle bowls
Thursday: Chicken rice bowls with broccoli
Friday: Stir fry veggies and rice
Ok, is it just me but is life whizzing by? I am heading into a medium busy week;). How sad is that? But anyway, I am heading into a medium busy week so I am going to try a few things and get a few things done!
Monday: I’m out so leftovers for NerdDad and hotdogs for the kids;)
Tuesday: Steak, broccoli, Brazilian cheese rolls
Wednesday: Chicken rice bake
Thursday: Shrimp and noodles with spinach
Friday: Chicken and rice bowls
If you are here from my spot on Central Valley Today, welcome!
Food. It is a necessity and we spend so much time figuring out what we are eating, when, making it and that is not mentioning the numerous trips to the grocery store! Well, while eating is a must you can make all the rest just a little easier. I am a big believer in meal planning in all its forms and incarnations. You can just plan to actually have the stuff for 5 meals in your house or you can go the other way and plan every meal in detail for the next month. How you do it is up to you but there are some easy tips to consider that will start you on the right path!
Meal Planning Tips!
-Have a base list of meals your family loves. One night during dinner just sit down with a pad and ask everyone what their top 5 meals are. That is a great start!
-Take stock of what you already have (pantry, frig, freezer). Lets not waste money! Start with what you have and eat all those wonderful things you already bought! We don’t want to put money in the garbage!
-Anchor your week’s meals to the grocery ads. For example chicken breasts and London broil are on sale this week. We will be eating both this week! I also make my meal plan off the ad then make the grocery list.
-Try something new every couple of weeks. Variety is the spice of life! I made a new recipe last week (Gluten Free Spinach Fritters) and they were a hit. They will be on next week’s meal plan because we found an easy keeper!
-Plan meals that remake leftovers. I am making chicken tonight with roast potatoes. The leftovers will be in my gluten mac and cheese that I am making Thursday night. Uses the leftovers but with a little planning is an entirely unique meal.
-Take life and your schedule into account. I have crazy Wednesdays! Dinner can’t be late because we head out to church that evening. So you will notice that is often my crockpot night! This week we are having corned beef.
-It is ok to plan an eat out/order in night! NerdDad and I like our weekends to be pretty easy. So this pas weekend we had corned beef hash on Saturday and then we had the Outback brought in on Sunday. It was no stress or surprise because we usually plan on fast food/ordering in 1 night every weekend.
Meal Planning doesn’t have to be hard at all! It may take a few minutes but it is worth it. I really encourage you to put it down somewhere so you can look at it. You are more committed and frankly I can forget part way through the week;). I do my meal planning on my Cozi and on my website but you can do anything with it. There are also some great free printable planners out there from places like DonnaYoung, Family Fun, and Vertex42. You can even get magnetized meal planning pads for a dollar at Michaels and the Dollar Tree.
Use what makes you feel comfortable and just do it!!! Let me know what works for you and what doesn’t!
So how are you all doing? I have a huge to do list this week so once again I am trying to keep it simple! What are you eating this week?
Monday: Baked Chicken, Roast Potatoes, Broccoli
Tuesday: Bacon Wrapped London Broil, Brazilian Cheese Rolls, Broccoli
Wednesday: Corned Beef and Potatoes, Spinach
Thursday:Gluten Free Chicken Mac & Cheese with Spinach
Friday: Leftovers!
This week is going to be nuts! On Saturday I am throwing a bridal shower with another friend at my house. Which means I need to educate the nerdlings (at least a little;), work, and clean the house;). At least I am finally getting over my sinus infection, gotta love antibiotics!
And is it just me or have there been no good Corned Beef sales? Anyway, here is my easy week!
Monday: Spinach, Shrimp and Rice noodles
Tuesday: Shredded Chicken Rice Bowls
Wednesday: Beans and Chicken Shredded Rice Bowls
Thursday: Chicken and Spinach Hash Brown Casserole
Friday: Corned Beef, Potatoes, Brazilian Cheese Rolls
Monday: Roast Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
Tuesday: Hot Dogs for the kids
Wednesday: Steak, Roast potatoes, Broccoli
Thursday: Chicken and Spinach Hash Brown Casserole
Friday: Hot Dogs for the kids
I can’t believe that we have passed Thanksgiving and are now hurling towards Christmas! Is 2011 speeding by too fast for anyone else? Since we went to my Mother in law’s for Thanksgiving we don’t have any delightful leftovers so I will probably make a turkey next week;). Here is my plan. What is yours?
Monday- Zuppa Toscana
Tuesday- ham, mashed potatoes, broccoli
Wednesday- Going to Chili’s for the Kids’ Eat Free deal!
Thursday- BBQ steak, mashed potatoes, broccoli
Friday- Hamburger Helper for the kids
This week is a super crazy week!!! My kids have a concert and we have something almost every night this week!!! So things are going to have to be super easy! With us going gluten free I only have a couple of great dishes….
Monday: Steaks, broccoli, mashed potatoes
Tuesday: Not Your Mama’s Spaghetti Squash
Wednesday: Salmon, roasted potatoes, broccoli
Thursday: Shrimp & spinach in rice noodles with butter and garlic
Friday: Dinner out with the family
So how was everyone’s Halloween? Are you still eating all your kids’ candy? I am;)!
But on to real food? What are you all eating this week? Here is my tentative plan!
Monday: Salmon, roasted potatoes and broccoli
Tuesday: carnitas, broccoli and rice
Wednesday: steak, broccoli, chili
Thursday: shrimp, spinach and rice noodles in a butter garlic sauce
Friday: Most of us are going to a wedding!!! The littles with have something out of a box with the sitter;).
This week is already hitting the ground running! How is it Monday and I already feel like I am a week behind;)? But luckily I start the week with leftovers so that should help;). What are you eating this week?
Monday: Garlic Butter Shrimp in rice noodles with asparagus
Tuesday: shredded chicken and rice with broccoli
Wednesday: Left over Carnitas with rice, green beans
Thursday: BBQ Steak and Sweet Potato Fries
Friday: Kids are having stuffing and chicken!