What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
It has been awhile since I posted our family menu schedule on the blog. This summer the only week we were home for an entire week was when Jake’s sister and family were visiting us. Thankfully, we had a great summer and safety as we traveled to see a lot of family and friends. We are now back into the school routine schedule so it is essential that I start doing the menu planning regularly. By the time the kids get out of school and we do any after school activities, tutoring, homework, dinner, baths, lunches packed, etc…. our evening is done and it’s time for bed. Since homework takes a chunk of the afternoon and evenings I need to make sure I know what our menu is going to be so I can prep, plan, organize, and have everything ready to run as efficiently as possible so everyone is fed and in bed on time.
I am extremely grateful for a husband who pitches in and helps in the kitchen, there were a couple nights this past week that we were still doing homework when he arrived home from work so he put the finishing touches on the dinner so I could help the kids wrap up homework. Thanks Handsome!!! Eating our evening meal together is important to us. We want to be able to relax and catch up with each other once dinner is served. Since Monday is a Holiday I will be moving our Beef night to Tuesday and giving the girls a week off from cooking until we get the school schedule down. Plus, the kids pitched in and helped with meals as well as special cooking this past weekend. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree): Special Event – Labor Day Holiday
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Lasagna, Homemade Artisan Bread
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Honey Mustard Chicken, Rice
- Thursday (Pasta or Pork Entree): Special Event – Family STEM Night at School – Hotdogs, Leafy 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 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
