What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
I am excited that Jake is back at home again! It is wonderful that he has the opportunity to travel with work even though we miss him. Right now, it looks like we have a few normal weeks together as a family again. Yay! The girls enjoyed the fun meals last week while Daddy was away and spending some extra time with Mommy. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef Entree): Lasagna, Salad, Garlic Bread
- Tuesday (Seafood or Pork Entree): Stuffed Clams, Baked Acorn Squash
- Wednesday (Chicken Entree): Mediterranean Herb Chicken, Cheesy Couscous
- Thursday (Pasta or Vegetarian Entree): Creamy Fettuccine, 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 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
I am not sure what happened to this menu? Sorry it is going live a little later than usual. I posted it earlier today….so I thought……but it has completely disappeared into cyber space. My computer did crash so maybe it was lost in the shuffle of computer life. It is another busy week with some traveling so we are keeping the dinner menu simple and easy. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef Entree): Grilled Hamburgers, Fresh Lettuce Salad
- Tuesday (Seafood or Pork Entree): Hotdogs, Baked Beans
- Wednesday (Chicken Entree): Chicken Noodle Soup, Fresh Fruit
- Thursday (Pasta or Vegetarian Entree): Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup
- 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 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
I am thrilled to have Jake back at home! The girls loved the extra fun meals (really fast and easy ones) last week while Daddy was away but are excited to get back to our normal schedule as well. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef Entree): Bake Steak, Caesar Salad, Mash Potatoes
- Tuesday (Seafood or Pork Entree): Grilled Italian Sausage, Sweet Potatoes
- Wednesday (Chicken Entree): Chicken Taco Salad, Spanish Rice
- Thursday (Pasta or Vegetarian Entree): Garden Vegetable Bake, Fruit 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 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
Now that I have been planning our weekly menu in advance for a month I have noticed that some weeks when we have dinner ready at 5:30 pm every night and the weekend is packed full of activities with family and friends we do not eat up all the leftovers from the meals. I do not enjoy “wasting” leftovers. Last Monday when I opened the fridge and realized the amount of items already in the fridge I decided we should hold off on the menu plan for that night and eat up some of the leftovers before they go bad. Since we ate leftovers on Monday night that menu item has been forwarded to this week. Also, you may notice that this week’s menu is not as appealing as some weeks and that is because it is a busy week on top of some business traveling so we are keeping it simple and easy both for time and to help use up any extra food we already have in the refrigerator.
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef Entree): Homemade Pizza (Hamburger & Pepperoni), Ranch Salad (using lettuce from the Garden & Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Kit we got from the box sale and only used half of the kit from a previous week)
- Tuesday (Seafood or Pork Entree): Tuna Salad, Fresh Fruit
- Wednesday (Chicken Entree): Cheesy Chicken Nuggets, Fresh Vegetables
- Thursday (Pasta or Vegetarian Entree): Macaroni and Cheese, Apple Crunches
- 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 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
I am ready for another week of menu planning! It has been wonderful getting each day started with a plan of action in place. I typically look over the menu the evening before to see if I need to pull out any specific items (like meat out of the deep freezer), the next morning I go over the what needs started, prepped or put in the crockpot, and as I am wrapping up homework time with the girls in the late afternoon I start putting together the last few items for the evening meal.
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef Entree): Homemade Pizza (Hamburger & Pepperoni), Ranch Salad (using lettuce from the Garden & Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Kit we got from the box sale and only used half of the kit from a previous week)
- Tuesday (Seafood or Pork Entree): Grilled Lemon Pepper Catfish, Parmesan and Romano Rice, Fresh Fruit Salad
- Wednesday (Chicken Entree): Chicken Tikka Masala, Naan, Jasmine Rice
- Thursday (Pasta or Vegetarian Entree): Four Cheese Pasta, 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 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
Last week our menu plan went well. I think the entire family enjoyed having dinner on the table at a specific time and it was a lot easier for me to prep as well as pull the meal together because I know exactly what we are eating each day.
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef Entree): “Back to School” Night at the girls school (dinner is part of the event)
- Tuesday (Seafood or Pork Entree): Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin, Mash Potatoes, Pearsauce
- Wednesday (Chicken Entree): Honey Mustard Chicken, Whole Grain Rice Pilaf, Mixed Fresh Fruit Salad
- Thursday (Pasta or Vegetarian Entree): Vegetarian Chili, Easy Summer Vegetables, Cornbread & Crackers
- 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 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
I am starting to get into a new rhythm for the month of September now that school is going full swing. It has been been a couple weeks of adjusting to new schedules and activities, but thankfully everyone seems to be doing really well. As I was looking over the schedule and trying to come up with ways to make it more efficient I realized that it was necessary to make my dinner menu official. I have always had a general patterned I followed and backup meals prepared just in case it was “one of those days” but recently I caught myself standing in front of my open pantry at 5:34 PM trying to decide what to make for dinner. As I reviewed my week I decided in order to make the evening go smoothly for the entire family I must plan our dinner ahead of time.Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef Entree): Lasagna, Salad (Lettuce from Garden & using Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Kit for toppings), Garlic Bread
- Tuesday (Seafood or Pork Entree): Garlic Butter Grouper Fillets, Steamed Cauliflower, Broccoli & Rice Au Gratin
- Wednesday (Chicken Entree): Italian Herb Chicken, Roasted Parmesan Potatoes, Broccoli Coleslaw
- Thursday (Pasta or Vegetarian Entree): Garden Vegetable Pasta, Fruit Salad
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Work Party, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I intend to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef entree, Tuesday a seafood or pork entree and so forth). When I have guidelines in place it makes it much easier to follow and get the tasks done. It is my goal at least, at 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.
I look forward to seeing how the set 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 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
Living on a Budget – Groceries $40 for 4
SaveALot | RiteAid and Walgreens I made it through my second week of doing my new cash budget system – Groceries $40 for 4 and I have to be honest with you, it didn’t go well at ALL. It was a super busy week and I decided at the beginning of the week to totally revamped my menu for this week. The good news is the menu included a bunch of new healthy recipes, however, since we have been cutting back on our grocery shopping the last few weeks we had to rebuild our fresh fruit and veggie stockpile. Although I was able to get a lot of great deals on veggies (Thank You Aldi’s) it still added up quickly. My grocery store shopping this week was spread out and sandwiched in between appointments which made it even more hurried and less organized. I am still learning how to operate on the cash grocery system (even though I blew it this week). Hopefully, we can continue trying to utilize the food we already have in our pantry and freezer along with adding in extra fresh fruits and veggies. I did learn a lot about the mistakes I made this week (hopefully I can refrain from repeating them). What I learned this week from some of my grocery shopping mistakes:
- It is important to make the time to go shopping and not try to squeeze it in between appointments (rushing through doesn’t always work well even with a list).
- Forgetting some of my coupons made a huge difference ( I didn’t have the time or desire to use extra gas to go back for them)
- Shopping early morning is much better than in the middle of the day (not as many markdown items)
- Fresh items are more expensive (it is okay to substitute in some frozen ones too).
- Completely altering your menu once the week has already started causes unnecessary stress
- There are certain times of day it is not smart to take the whole crew with you to the store (right after school when they are restless and very HUNGRY)
- It is very difficult sticking to a $40 grocery budget when I had numerous hiccups in my process
Pictured above is my Walgreens and SaveALot | Rite Aid trip. Sorry I was not able to get a picture of my Aldi’s and BiLo trips it took everything in me just to put the stuff away (actually, I still have a few cans sitting on the counter still waiting for me to put them in the pantry). I didn’t separate out my household and grocery items at Aldi or BiLo either so I don’t have the exact totals but to be completely honest I more than double my grocery budget for this week. Here is what I spent at the two stores pictured above and what we bought:
- $5.05 at Walgreens for 2 cans of Cashews
- $19.23 at SaveALot | RiteAid for Milk, Parmesan Grated Cheese, Yogurt, Carrots, Cheese, Mushrooms, Stew Meat, Hamburger Helper
Life was spread out and busy this week. My grocery shopping and house shows the ripple effect of it too. It was our second week of the challenge – Groceries $40 for 4 and we more than doubled our grocery budget of $40. I was disappointed in myself for making so many silly mistakes (and I knew better too) in my rush to pick up groceries and feed the family. I did get to use some coupons, bought clearance items, and utilized weekly ad discounts to help save us a little extra on our grocery budget even though the savings wasn’t enough. I really hope to be more organized and do better next week. We’ll see how I do!
I hope to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks! As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. I hope by taking the extra time to watch my grocery spending it will allow us to feed our family, enjoy life, and yet stay on track with our budget.
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Don’t Leave Home Without: Your Keys
The girls didn’t have school Monday, teachers work day, so I was looking forward to spending some quiet time with them. We spent the morning reading books, eating breakfast, making beds, doing laundry and other household chores that are fun with two little helpers hovering around. We were hurrying through our “to do” list so we could go on a ZoobaLoobaDoo adventure together.
As I ran the mail out and gathered up the last minute items, Brina and Karlie headed downstairs to get buckled into their car seats. They love going on errands with me therefore they were buckled in rather quickly. When I arrived they were patiently waiting for me start the van so we can be off on our adventure, as I buckled in it hit me………Where Are My Keys???
The next 45 minutes was a whirlwind as we bounced around in search of the keys. The first several minutes the girls just watched as I went from cleaning out the van, digging in the trash can, and combing through the house in search of my keys. You have to understand that as an organized person with two kids I have a “place” for my keys. Whenever I need to head out my keys are rarely a concern because I know when I get in the van exactly where they will be. If I am parked in the garage my keys are always on top of the dash. When I am at the store or parked outside the house my keys are always in my purse. At this point in the search I had decided that for whatever reason the girls and I were not supposed to be going out today. Of course, that didn’t go over too well when I told the kids so I promised to look another few minutes then we would have to go back inside and find something special to do at home.
I think the girls were beginning to get concerned that we would not be going on our ZoobaLoobaDoo adventure so they suggested that I call Daddy to see if he rememberd seeing my keys. The weekends are wonderful with the entire family together, however, my keys get shuffled around more because my dear husband prefers to use his keys when we go out and they fit better into his pocket (my key chain is rather large with all my keys, fancy sayings, digital picture frame and so forth attached). Not really thinking he would remember since I am the “organized” person in our family I call…..after a short pause he suggested looking on the key ring in the garage (which I never store my keys on since they are either in the dash or my purse). Well, today they were nicely hanging on the key ring in the garage. Now to make matters more embarrassing the key ring is in plain sight from any where in the garage and I walked past it at least a dozen times in my flurry to locate my keys. The girls were thrilled that Daddy found the keys for Mommy and we were off on our errands!
Although we live in a suburban area it is not easy to go to the store or run errands without keys. Thankfully we were able to locate them so we could go complete the activities for the day even if we were running an hour behind schedule. It is one of those moments when you realize how dependent you are on having the keys to get you where you need to go when leaving the house.
Being organized is awesome! I am thankful for a husband who puts up with my craziness and shares in the laughter when those moments happen. He is the calm in this wild household of women and I love him dearly. Although he unintentionally caused the hiccup in my organized household I know he was only trying to help. Keys really are an important item if you plan to drive somewhere…….so don’t leave home without them!!!
I am a firm believer that you are only as organized as you need to be. Don’t Leave Home Without……is a mini-series of items that you really shouldn’t leave home without in today’s society. Most days I am organized which saves time and energy for the entire family, however, there are times that life gets crazy and items somehow manage to find another location in my home. If something is not in it’s place (even though the spot it is in makes perfect sense) it can cause additional drama, scurried moments, and in the end laughter. Hope you enjoy the humor as I have (later in the day or in some cases later in the week).
