Organized Chaos
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
It has been a really busy summer packed full of a lot of adventures and great memories; it’s hard to believe that the girls are going back to school this week…..so sad! As we adjust to a new school year I want to make sure I have the menu planned since our days will be very busy. The kids are sad to say goodbye to summer but excited to see their friends and go back to school. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree): Beef Bow Tie Pasta Bake, Fresh Garden Salad
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Brina & Karlie’s Night to Cook Dinner – Pizza
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Golden Chicken Curry, Roasted Garlic & Chili Jasmine Rice
- Thursday (Pasta or Pork Entree): Loaded Scallop Potato Casserole, Fresh Vegetables
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
Family Activities: Date Night Wish Lists
Found one of Brina’s Date Night Wish lists from earlier this year!
Jake and I try to routinely go on a Date Night with the girls. He’ll take one out and I will take the other girl out on a Date. Sometimes we’ll ask them to write out a list of some fun activities they would like to do during Date Night. As I was going back over some things I came across these two lists from earlier in the year. They made me smile reading them and remembering all the fun memories. Many of the activities are free they just require some extra time and attention.
Karlie’s Date Night Wish List for her Date with Daddy
We like to request these lists every few months because it gives us a good idea of what is important to our kids. So often we think the big elaborate activities are the most fun but after talking with them and reading their lists sometimes they would rather sit down and read a book with you, look through the telescope, picnic in the park, play ball, go look at animals at the pet store, or even a trip to the library. Just reading these lists again make me thankful for my girls and the little activities that make an big impact on their hearts and lives. Spending time together one-on-one and as a family is more important then all the trinkets in the world. These date nights are priceless memories that have opened up many wonderful conversations with our girls. They always look forward to their special date nights!
Do you plan one-on-one time with your children? If so what activities do you enjoy doing together?
Organized Chaos: Health & Medical Supplies
Organizing Our Health & Medical Supplies
Do you ever open the medicine cabinet for a bandaid or to get Tynenol for a child’s fever or something else and either everything falls out of the cabinet or you cannot locate the one item you need? I love to get items on sale, clearance, or with a coupon but it is usually not reasonable to stuff everything in the same cupboard in the kitchen and hope that you can find it when you need it. You don’t want any health or medical items somewhere young children can get ahold of it, it’s not food so the pantry isn’t really a great option either. Since all the items don’t need to be in the cupboard at once (do you really need 2 to 5 boxes of the same bandaids in the cupboard all at one time) you could store them someplace accessible yet out of reach.
Here are some more pictures on what is in the containers.
Health & Medical items organized on the top shelf on my husbands closet
The spot I discovered that works the best for our family is at the top of my husbands closet (thanks honey for sharing your closet space). He was super sweet and redid our closets with the wire adjustable shelving which makes it much easier to store items in the closet. For several years any extra items would be put in a box and stored on the top shelf of his closet. Whenever we needed to get something we had to lug the entire box down and go through it to see if we had what we need. I decided it was time to make it more accessible and user friendly. I bought clear plastic containers at Dollar Tree, put all the items from the big box into the containers, labeled the containers, and re-stacked them on the top shelves of his closet.
Far Left Stack
- Liquid Prescription Medicine
- Non-Liquid Prescription Medicine
- Medical Equipment Equipment – Blood Pressure Monitor, Stethoscope, etc…
If you notice out of all the stacks this one is the hardest to get access to (and for a good reason). Many of the items in this stack are prescription based and in order to get anything out of this stack you have to move at least one of the other rows. I intentionally put this in the hardest to reach place because these items shouldn’t be used as much and you don’t want someone to accidentally grab the wrong thing thinking its cough syrup.
Middle Stack
- Allergy Medicine
- Headache / Fever
- Tums / GasX / Stomach
Right Stack
- Cold Medicine
- Cough Drops
- Liquid Cold Medicine
Organized Health & Medical Items
Having the health and medicine organized has made the whole system much more efficient for our family. If we are out of bandaids I go into the closet, get the bandaid container down, and restock the bandaids. If I notice one of the containers is getting empty I will put that item on my list to look for in the sales fliers and on the clearance shelves. Once a container is full I no longer buy any more of that particular item until we need it again because what we have in stock should last us several months. This system has helped us save time, money, and energy. It is much easier finding what you need, to see what needs restocked, you don’t waste money on items you already have at home, and it looks so much better too
Left Stack
- Miscellaneous – items that don’t fit into any of the other categories or ones that we typically only keep one extra of since we don’t go through them as quickly
- Vitamins
- Heat Pads
Right Stack
- First Aid
- Bandaids
- Gauze / Medical Pads
This system has worked very well with our family. I think it is important that you find what works best for your family and go with it. It didn’t take me long to get this set up and it has been a huge time saver ever since we started using it. I would love to hear how and where you store these types of items in your home?
Heart Reflections: 1 Corthinians 13 Heart Assessment
Beautiful purple flowers with white spots from our last trip to Charleston. Sometimes I feel like my heart is spotted much like these pretty flowers.
There are days when I feel like I mess up more than get it right. I say things that aren’t sweet and nice, over react to the little stuff, or have a bad attitude. Does anyone else have these types of days? The people who probably know me the best are those who get the “privilege” of living with me everyday (my husband and kids). They have seen many of my mistakes, bad days, and over reactions. As Jake and I approach our 12th anniversary I am reminded while the most important relationship I have is with my heavenly Father another one that impacts our entire family is my relationship with my husband. While I was thinking about our upcoming celebration the passage in scripture that came to mind is the one from 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
4. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5. or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6. it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8. Love never ends. As f or prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
The verse was brought to my attention again as I was reading Lysa TerKeurst’s book Am I Messing Up My Kids when I got to the section on spouses. While most days go smoothly (thanks to the large doses of grace Jake extends to me) I could really benefit by working on many of these characteristics. When my relationship with Christ is open and consistent it ripples across to all other relationships I have, including my spouse and children. Lysa gave an amazing 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Assessment that I want to share with you. It was really good and included scripture passages to reference and / or memorize. Many of these attributes and characteristics can be applied to other relationships as well. As I read through the list it made me realize how far from perfect I am and how wonderfully gracious the Lord is to me. Yes, some of them I do much better than others but I could improve in many areas as well. What better place to start implementing some of these characteristics than with your spouse….let’s give it a try!
Whether you are having a tough time or things are going well at home I think we all can benefit from applying the principles outlined below (insights from Lysa’s book Am I Messing Up My Kids):
- Am I patient with my spouse (I am flexible and understanding)? Ephesians 4:2-3
- Am I kind to my spouse (I am kind in thought, words, and actions toward my spouse). Ephesians 4:31-32
- Am I supportive (not envious) with my spouse? (I do not keep score when I feel I do more) James 3:16-18
- Am I encouraging (not boastful) to my spouse? (I do not brag about my accomplishments while downplaying my spouse’s)? Hebrews 3:13
- Am I humble (not proud) with my spouse? (I do not think my agenda is more important than my spouse’s agenda.) 1 Peter 5:6
- Am I gracious (not rude) to my spouse? (I build up my spouse with my words spoken in private and public.) Ephesians 4:29
- Am I selfless (not self-seeking) with my spouse? (I focus on my spouse’s needs and wants and balance them with my own.) Philippians 2:3-4
- Am I self-controlled (not easily angered) with my spouse? (I do not have a short fuse or quick temper) Proverbs 15:1
- Am I able to forgive and let go (keeping no record of wrong) with my spouse’s shortcomings? (I do not use my spouse’s past shortcomings as ammunition in today’s disagreements or allow these things to taint our communication today.) Colossians 3:12-14
- Do I delight in being faithful to God (not delighting in evil)? (I seek to live a pure life and choose not to flirt with sin.) Ephesians 4:1
- Do I rejoice with the truth? (I actively pursue God’s truth over Satan’s lies.) John 8:31-32
- Do I seek to protect my spouse? (I fill in the gaps where my spouse feels weak and vulnerable.) I Thessalonians 5:11
- Do I trust my spouse? (I give my spouse the benefit of the doubt.) – I Peter 3:8
- Do I keep hope alive in my marriage? (I trust God with “our” future, not “my” future.) – Jeremiah 29:11
- Do I persevere in my marriage? (I look for solutions to problems rather than look for a way out.) Matthew 5:33
- Am I committed to the permanence of our marriage? (I believe that divorce is not an option for us.) Malachi 2:16
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
The girls have horse camp this week and we are still in the process of locating another vehicle so the schedules have been a little more crazy. I am thankful for the amazing opportunities we have been given, for a dinner menu to keep us on track in the evenings, and awesome friends who have been a huge blessing to us this week. Summer has been a whirlwind of activity around our house this year and it doesn’t look like it will be slowing down any time soon. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree): Cheesy Beef & Bow Tie Pasta Casserole, Fresh Fruit
- Tuesday (Pasta or Pork Entree): Special Event
- Wednesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Brina & Karlie’s Night to Cook Dinner
- Thursday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Golden Chicken Curry, Roasted Garlic & Chili Jasmine Rice
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree, Tuesday a pasta or pork entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
It has been a fun and busy week filled with summer activities, juggling schedules, one car, and everything else that is going on. Thankfully our family enjoys an adventure because this summer has been a whirlwind of activity. In the middle of all the craziness their is a plan of action included our weekly dinner plan to help keep us on track. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree): Homemade Pizza, Cesar Salad
- Tuesday (Pasta or Pork Entree): Rotini Pasta Casserole, Easy Vegetable Bake
- Wednesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Brina & Karlie’s Night to Cook Dinner (Hamburgers)
- Thursday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Sesame Chicken Teriyaki, Thai Noodles
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree, Tuesday a pasta or pork entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
Last week we were in Charleston so our menu planning was not as consistent but we did really well with what we had! Now that we are back home we will have a more traditional menu again. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree): Taco Lasagna, Fruit Salad, 7 Grain Rice
- Tuesday (Pasta or Pork Entree): Four Cheese Rotini, Easy Vegetable Bake
- Wednesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Brina & Karlie’s Night to Cook Dinner
- Thursday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Spinach & Chicken Casserole, Ranch Bacon Pasta Salad
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree, Tuesday a pasta or pork entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
The girls are officially out of school and on summer break now we have two 2nd graders in our household! I am super excited to spend some extra time with the kiddos and have a lot of fun activities planned. This week didn’t go quite as planned….Jake got in an accident so I am a little behind on some of the goals and had to rearrange other ones but thankfully he is okay and healing well.
Last week’s goals:
Family Goals
- Connect with each family member at least once a day
Final Prep for Summer BreakRead at least one book to the girls every dayListen to the girls read at least one book to me or Jake every daySpend some extra time catching up with family and friendsConfirm the Schedule / Flights for upcoming Family Reunion
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – didn’t get this one done
Update my goals- Finish reading Am I Messing Up My Kids by Lysa TerKeurst – time was spent in other areas this past week
Home Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWeekly Dinner Menu & Schedule planned out for the weekSpend 30 minutes every day picking up & cleaning the house
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attention1o minutes a day Cleaning / Organizing my desk
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch- Email the updated schedule to our Community Group – didn’t get the email out this week
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – went over budget again
- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses – still saving up
- Save money for upcoming trips – put on hold with the accident this past week
- Put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes – temporarily put on hold with the accident
My goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Connect with each family member at least once a day
- Enjoy time doing one fun activity with the girls every day
- Read at least one book to the girls every day
- Listen to the girls read at least one book to me or Jake every day
- Spend some extra time catching up with family and friends
- Finish 1/3 of the Summer Reading Program
- Spend time at the pool playing with the kids
Personal Goals
- Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
- Spend quality time with my kids & Jake
- Finish reading Am I Messing Up My Kids by Lysa TerKeurst
- Finish reading More Than Enough by Dave Ramsey
Home Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu & Schedule planned out for the week
- Plan Summer Organizational Schedule
- Pay all upcoming bills
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- 1o minutes a day Cleaning / Organizing my desk
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
- Email the updated schedule to our Community Group
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses
- Save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled
- Put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
This is the girls last week of school so we are getting excited about summer break! Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pasta Entree): Penne Pasta Casserole, Caesar Salad
- Tuesday (Seafood or Pork Entree): Sesame Teriyaki, Asian Noodles
- Wednesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Brina & Karlie’s Night to Cook Dinner
- Thursday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Garden Vegetable Soup, French Bread
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or pasta entree, Tuesday a seafood or pork entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
We are back to a more “normal” week around our house again. We had a blast in Florida at the Kennedy Space Center, Disney, and Sea World. The girls are in the last couple weeks of school and we have some busy evenings with events, school programs, and activities. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pasta Entree): Special Activities (4 separate activities all in the span of 3 hours so squeezing in dinner on the run)
- Tuesday (Seafood or Pork Entree): Korma Curry, Jasmine Rice
- Wednesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Brina & Karlie’s Night to Cook Dinner
- Thursday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Tomato Pasta Casserole, Caesar Salad
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or pasta entree, Tuesday a seafood or pork entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
