What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
Our family spent last week in Orlando, Florida. My husband had a work conference the first part of the week, the girls and I went along with him. We had a blast exploring the area while Jake attended his work meetings. The girls and I went to one of the Disney parks, Animal Kingdom as well the Boardwalk, Downtown Disney, Miniature Golf, swimming, and roaming around while Jake was in his conference. We got pretty good at figuring out how to get around with the various transportation systems from the buses, boats, and monorails. We only saw Jake in the mornings while we were getting ready and at the end of the day as the girls were getting ready for bed. He had long days at the conference, but it was nice to spend a little time with him each day.
After Jake’s conference was out we spent the next 2 1/2 days exploring parks together as a family before heading home. I am very thankful for a great opportunity to spend time together. We were up by 6 am every morning and went strong until about midnight each day. The girls were at the perfect age to carry their own backpacks and explore for a whole day.
We ate breakfast at the hotel, packed sandwiches and snacks for our lunches out and about, and we made supper at the hotel once we arrived back later that night. The girls would take their showers while we prepped dinner, prepped for the next day, and crashed in bed. It was a great week and we saved a lot by bringing our own meals to make and eat. We only purchased one meal the entire week and that was at Epcot. Jake did have some of his meals covered while in the conference, but otherwise everything we ate was from the food we brought to eat. We stuck mostly to our menu plan from last week, but we switched around the order based on how tired we were at the end of the day and the amount of prep required. We are now back to our regular school and work schedule this week. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Crockpot Roast Beef, Mash Potatoes & Gravy
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Chili Dogs, Green Beans
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Orange Chicken, Jasmine Rice
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Pasta Casserole, Steamed 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
