Menu Plan: August 17-September 2

My grocery list was actually fairly short compared to normal, because we just have so much food in the house, especially in the freezer, from our garden and from others' gardens.  I'm loving all the veggies!

Monday, August 17
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Sweet Corn, Veggies and Dip
Dinner: Unstuffed Zucchini Skillet (pictured above)
Snack #1: Cheese Sticks (the kids' favorite on grocery shopping days)
Snack #2: Apple/Bananas

Tuesday, August 18
Breakfast: Eggs and Bacon
Lunch: Homemade Lunchables
Dinner: Order in Chinese Food (the kids split one entree and we split another)
Snack #1: Energy Bites
Snack #2: Apple/Bananas

Wednesday, August 19
Breakfast: Gluten-Free Apple Carrot Zucchini Muffins
Lunch: Hot Dogs and Buns leftover from VBS, Chips
Dinner: Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Skillet
Snack #1: Energy Bites
Snack #2: Watermelon

Thursday, August 20
Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Leftovers/Sandwiches
Dinner: Toscana Soup, Garlic Butter Breadsticks 
Snack #1: Leftover Muffins
Snack #2: Watermelon

Friday, August 21
Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: BLTs, Chips
Dinner: Oatmeal Pancakes, Cinnamon Apples
Snack #1: Popcorn
Snack #2: Yogurt

Saturday, August 22
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Peaches
Lunch: Pizza Sammies with Chicken and Pesto
Dinner: Chicken Fried Rice
Snack #1: Popcorn
Snack #2: Treat (I'll either make gluten free peanut butter bars or rice krispie treats)

Sunday, August 23
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Spinach Tomato Pesto Quesadillas
Dinner: Beef Hobo Packets
Snack #1: Trail Mix
Snack #2: Canned Fruit

Monday, August 24
Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Southern Chicken Stew, Biscuits
Snack #1: Treat
Snack #2: Sale Fruit

Tuesday, August 25
Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Orange Chicken
Snack #1: Energy Bites
Snack #2: Sale Fruit

Wednesday, August 26
Breakfast: Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Muffins
Lunch: Leftovers/Sandwiches
Dinner: Tomato Turkey Soup, Garlic Butter Breadsticks
Snack #1: Energy Bites
Snack #2: Peanut Butter Banana Berry Smoothies

Thursday, August 27
Breakfast: Leftover Muffins
Lunch: Mini Pepper Chicken Nachos
Dinner: Leftover Tomato Turkey Soup and Breadsticks
Snack #1: Yogurt
Snack #2: Peanut Butter Banana Berry Smoothies

Friday, August 28
Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Chicken Quesadillas
Dinner: Black Bean Fajita Casserole
Snack #1: Popcorn
Snack #2: Apple/Bananas

Saturday, August 29
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips
Lunch: Pizza Sammes with Sausage and Olives
Dinner: Leftover Fajita Casserole
Snack #1: Popcorn
Snack #2: Apple/Bananas

Sunday, August 30
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftovers/Sandwiches
Dinner: Chicken Bacon Mushroom Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Snack #1: Trail Mix
Snack #2: Treat (whichever one I didn't make last week)

Monday, August 31
Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries
Dinner: Veggie Spaghetti
Snack #1: Popcorn
Snack #2: Canned Fruit

Tuesday, September 1
Breakfast: Eggs and Sweet Potatoes
Lunch: Taco Soup
Dinner: Grill Hot Dogs and Brats, Crockpot Baked Beans
Snack #1: Canned Fruit
Snack #2: Homemade Granola

Wednesday, September 2
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Taco Soup
Dinner: TBD (leftovers, or Southwest Frittata if we don't have anything extra)
Snack #1: TBD
Snack #2: Yogurt

Menu Plan: August 3-16

The first batch of homemade salsa.  I got lazy, so I just threw everything in the blender instead of chopping it.  The texture was a bit different, but it tasted good!

We are starting to reap the fruits of our labor in the garden, and it's fun to be able to go out and pick some fresh veggies!  We tried our only remaining watermelon (we had 3, but the two smaller ones disappeared), and it was a little pale and immature tasting, but still good!  Here's the tentative plan for the first half of August...

Monday, August 3
Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Greek Chicken Salads
Dinner: Chicken Pepper Bake
Snack #1: Cheese Sticks
Snack #2: Applesauce and Graham Crackers

Tuesday, August 4
Breakfast: Eggs and Fried Potatoes
Lunch: Greek Chicken Salads
Dinner: Sausage Stuffed Zucchini
Snack #1: Energy Bites
Snack #2: Apple/Bananas

Wednesday, August 5

Breakfast: Gluten-Free Apple Carrot Zucchini Muffins
Lunch: Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions and Rice
Dinner: Turkey Bacon Wraps, Fruit Salad
Snack #1: Energy Bites
Snack #2: Apple/Bananas

Thursday, August 6

Breakfast: Leftover Muffins
Lunch: Leftover Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions and Rice
Dinner: Turkey Bacon Wraps, Fruit Salad
Snack #1: Cheese Sticks
Snack #2: Yogurt

Friday, August 7

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries
Dinner: Polish Sausage Stew
Snack #1: Fruit Salad
Snack #2: Popcorn

Saturday, August 8

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Peaches
Lunch: Sandwiches/Leftovers
Dinner: Frozen Pizza (for the boys - the girls and I are leaving sometime Saturday for a bridal shower in Wisconsin on Sunday)
Snack #1: Applesauce
Snack #2: Trail Mix

Sunday, August 9

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Sandwiches (or McDonald's if they can convince Dad)
Dinner: Hot Dogs and Macaroni and Cheese
Snack #1: Canned Fruit
Snack #2: Trail Mix

Monday, August 10

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Circuit Picnic with other pastors in our area (we're bringing hot dogs to grill and I'll make some gluten-free peanut butter bars)
Dinner: Pinto and Ground Turkey Tacos
Snack #1: Trail Mix
Snack #2: Blueberries

Tuesday, August 11

Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Dinner: Leftover Tacos
Snack #1: Popcorn
Snack #2: Blueberries

Wednesday, August 12

Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Chorizo Quesadillas, Apples
Dinner: Pancakes, Cinnamon Apples
Snack #1: Energy Bites
Snack #2: Banana Blueberry Smoothies

Thursday, August 13

Breakfast: Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Lunch: Egg Salad, Crackers, Fruit
Dinner: VBS Cookout at Church
Snack #1: Energy Bites
Snack #2: Yogurt

Friday, August 14

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Hot Dogs, Macaroni and Cheese
Dinner: Gluten-Free Chicken Broccoli Mushroom Alfredo (using this sauce)
Snack #1: Muffins
Snack #2: Apple/Bananas

Saturday, August 15

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips
Lunch: Taco Soup
Dinner: Leftover Alfredo
Snack #1: Popcorn
Snack #2: TBD

Sunday, August 16

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftover Taco Soup
Dinner: Fish, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Snack #1: Popcorn
Snack #2: TBD

Menu Plan: July 13-August 2

Sunday's dinner: Roasted chicken, roasted red potatoes, and green beans from the garden.  They all looked yummy!  In reality, the chicken was undercooked, even though I took its temperature (just not in the right places), and the green beans were still a little crunchy because I had the heat too high and they started smoking, so I took them off the burner.  It was my first time roasting a chicken, and I was a little more rushed than the usual Sunday dinner.  Lessons learned.  The potatoes were the best I've ever made them though, so at least one part was a success!

Now that we're back from vacation, I'm back to menu planning.  Since we were pretty close to mid-month anyways, I just went ahead and planned through the end of July.  It was a massive shopping trip, and I have a few busy days of chopping and prepping ahead of me, but it's nice to know that it's all done until next month!

Monday, July 13
Breakfast: Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
Lunch: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Dinner: Gluten-Free Lasagna Casserole
Snack #1: Cheese Sticks
Snack #2: Rice Krispie treats (the kids saw the recipe on the box and have been asking for these for a few weeks)

Tuesday, July 14
Breakfast: French Toast (leftover baked oatmeal for Hannah)
Lunch: Leftover Lasagna Casserole
Dinner: Chicken on the grill, Side Salad, Bread
Snack #1: Apple/Bananas
Snack #2: Rice Krispie treats

Wednesday, July 15

Breakfast: Eggs and Sweet Potatoes
Lunch: BLTs
Dinner: Stuffed Mushrooms, Side Salad, Bread
Snack #1: Cheese Sticks
Snack #2: Energy Bites

Thursday, July 16

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Chicken, Pinto Beans, Mexi Rice
Dinner: Gluten-Free Broccoli Mushroom Alfredo (using this sauce recipe)
Snack #1: Blueberries or other fruit
Snack #2: Energy Bites

Friday, July 17

Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Leftover Chicken, Pinto Beans, Mexi Rice
Dinner: Oatmeal Pancakes, Cinnamon Apples
Snack #1: Yogurt
Snack #2: Popcorn

Saturday, July 18

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Pears
Lunch: Sandwiches/Leftovers
Dinner: Chicken Bacon Ranch Mushroom Pizza
Snack #1: Apples
Snack #2: Trail Mix

Sunday, July 19

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Chicken Enchilada Chili
Dinner: Fish, Baked Potatoes, Corn (or beans if we have more from the garden)
Snack #1: Trail Mix
Snack #2: Canned Fruit

Monday, July 20

Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Leftover Chicken Enchilada Chili
Dinner: Pinto Bean and Ground Turkey Tacos
Snack #1: Cantaloupe
Snack #2: Popcorn

Tuesday, July 21

Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Chicken Pepper Bake
Dinner: Leftover Tacos
Snack #1: Cantaloupe
Snack #2: Energy Bites

Wednesday, July 22

Breakfast: Gluten-Free PB Oatmeal Banana Muffins
Lunch: Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries
Dinner: Pear and Sausage Stuffed Squash
Snack #1: Apple/Bananas
Snack #2: Energy Bites

Thursday, July 23

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Hot Dogs, Macaroni and Cheese
Dinner: Eggs, Sausage, Hash Browns
Snack #1: Leftover PB Muffins
Snack #2: Pears

Friday, July 24

Breakfast: Eggs and Sweet Potatoes
Lunch: At my parents' house, where we are dropping the kids for the night while we go to a Twins game for our anniversary
Dinner: Kids at my parents' house, us at the game
Snack #1: Applesauce
Snack #2: At my parents' house

Saturday, July 25

Breakfast: Kids at my parents' house, us at our hotel
Lunch: At my parents' house
Dinner: Crockpot Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions (this only takes 4 hours on high, so hopefully I can start it when we get home and have it be done in time)
Snack #1: Winona
Snack #2: Canned Fruit

Sunday, July 26

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftover Italian Sausage, Peppers and Onions
Dinner: Crockpot Beef and Broccoli
Snack #1: Trail Mix
Snack #2: Applesauce

Monday, July 27

Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: BLTs
Dinner: Gluten-Free Veggie Spaghetti
Snack #1: Yogurt
Snack #2: Popcorn

Tuesday, July 28

Breakfast: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Lunch: Black Bean Taco Salads
Dinner: Orange Chicken (doubled)
Snack #1: Apple/Bananas
Snack #2: Popcorn

Wednesday, July 29

Breakfast: Omelets with Ham, Cheese, Peppers, and Onions
Lunch: Taco Salads
Dinner: Leftover Orange Chicken
Snack #1: Leftover Pumpkin Muffins
Snack #2: Smoothies

Thursday, July 30

Breakfast: Eggs and Potatoes
Lunch: Black Bean Taco Soup (doubled)
Dinner: Oatmeal Pancakes and Cinnamon Apples
Snack #1: Leftover Pumpkin Muffins
Snack #2: Oranges

Friday, July 31

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Leftover Taco Soup
Dinner: Pepperoni and Olive Pizza
Snack #1: Canned Fruit
Snack #2: No Bake Cookies

Saturday, August 1

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Peaches
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Mini Meat Loaves, Mashed Potatoes, Corn
Snack #1: Apples
Snack #2: No Bake Cookies

Sunday, August 2

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Chicken Fajitas
Snack #1: TBD
Snack #2: TBD

Menu Plan: June 30-July 5

Some of our garden haul this weekend...

You might notice there's a little bit of overlap here from my last menu plan, which went through July 2.  (Okay, you probably won't notice, because you don't memorize my meal plans, but there is).  That's because I realized we only had a few more days between the end of that plan and our family vacation, so I decided to see if I could stretch what we had to cover the rest of the meals.  My mom also gave me a few fresh items that they weren't going to use before they left their house as well.  It actually was not that hard!  Meals that were already on the plan from last time are in parentheses.

Tuesday, June 30
Breakfast: (Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Muffins)
Lunch: (Leftover Taco Soup)
Dinner: (Stuffed Peppers)
Snack: (Watermelon)
Snack: (Bean Brownies)

Wednesday, July 1
Breakfast: (Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Muffins)
Lunch: (Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries)
Dinner: Cobb Salads (using lettuce and tomatoes from my mom, plus additional lettuce from our garden), Green Beans from the garden
Snack: (Bananas)
Snack: (Bean Brownies)

Thursday, July 2
Breakfast: (Yogurt and Homemade Granola)
Lunch: Funeral luncheon at church (I'm bringing cake)
Dinner: (Southern Chicken Stew, Biscuits)
Snack: (Apples)
Snack: (Popcorn)

Friday, July 3
Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Pinto Beans, Mexi Rice (I have everything except the red pepper), Cheese
Dinner: Leftovers
Snack: Yogurt
Snack: Canned Fruit

Saturday, July 4
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Canned Pears and Frozen Blueberries
Lunch: Veggie Stir Fry (using peas, corn, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, and celery, which are all in the freezer, plus some beef broth I have saved from the last time I made beef and broccoli)
Dinner: (Oatmeal Pancakes, Cinnamon Apples)
Snack: Canned Fruit
Snack: Energy Bites

Sunday, July 5
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Sandwiches/PB Tortillas (depending on the amount of bread we have left), and Hannah will have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on leftover pancakes
Dinner: Pizza - topped with Sausage and Fajita Veggies from the freezer (my brother and his fiancee will be here so I planned a nicer dinner for them)
Snack: Energy Bites
Snack: Whatever's left

We'll finish with eggs or cereal for breakfast on Monday, and head out, hopefully with a cleared out fridge/freezer, and with all of our grocery budget intact!

Menu Plan: June 16-July 2

Our most recent Sunday dinner included smothered chicken (chicken breast with mushrooms, onions, and mozzarella on top), garlic butter rice, pan seared broccoli from our garden, and a few snap peas from the garden as well.

The hardest part of having a garden, at least for me, is coming up with ways to use some of the produce immediately.  The stuff I can save, and use later on, is great!  The stuff that I need to use within a couple days sometimes stumps me, especially when I have the meals all set.  But I'm trying to be better about moving things around and using the stuff as we get it.  Good practice for if we ever get a CSA too (although with a garden this size, we certainly don't need one).

This time around I had to plan ahead a little bit, because we have a trip in the middle of the meal plan.  Not only did I want to lower costs for that trip by bringing most of our snacks and one of our meals, but I also wanted to have most of the meal prep done for when we get back.  I'll have laundry and life to catch up on, so who wants to spend extra time shopping and in the kitchen?  I think I managed to come up with a plan that will work.

Tuesday, June 16
Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Oat Cakes (gluten free version)
Lunch: Spinach Pesto Quinoa Bowl using this pesto recipe
Dinner: Toscana Soup, Breadsticks
Snack #1: Bananas
Snack #2: Energy Bites

Wednesday, June 17
Breakfast: Gluten Free Peanut Butter Banana Oat Muffins
Lunch: Leftover Toscana Soup and Soup from the Freezer, Leftover Breadsticks
Dinner: Turkey BLT Salads
Snack #1: Popcorn
Snack #2: Pears

Thursday, June 18

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Italian Sausage with Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms over Rice
Dinner: Turkey BLT Salads
Snack #1: Muffins
Snack #2: Pears

Friday, June 19

Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Leftover Italian Sausage and Rice
Dinner: Homemade Pizza topped with Ham, Mushrooms, Black Olives, Spinach, Peppers, and Onions
Snack #1: Muffins
Snack #2: Yogurt

Saturday, June 20

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Pears and Frozen Blueberries
Lunch: Baked Potatoes with Ham, Broccoli, Peppers, Onions, and Mozzarella
Dinner: Mexi Rice topped with Fajita Peppers and Onions, Black Olives, and Cheese
Snack #1: Apples
Snack #2: Energy Bites

Sunday, June 21 (we leave after lunch to go to our synod convention)

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Sandwiches, Fruit
Dinner: Sloppy Joe Mix, Rolls, Chips, Apples (I'm making the sloppy joe mix and rolls ahead of time and freezing them, so they'll thaw along the way for our trip, and we'll eat them at the hotel)
Snack #1: Anything left that needs to be eaten (energy bites, fruit, etc.)
Snack #2: Squeeze applesauce (I bought a big pack of these and a big pack of fruit cups for while we're on the road)

Monday, June 22

Breakfast: Hotel
Lunch: Eat Out
Dinner: Eat Out
Snack #1: Fruit Cups
Snack #2: Yogurt and Homemade Granola (I'm bringing granola from home and we'll buy yogurt there)

Tuesday, June 23

Breakfast: Hotel
Lunch: Eat Out
Dinner: Eat Out
Snack #1: Trail Mix (bringing from home)
Snack #2: Fruit Cups

Wednesday, June 24

Breakfast: Hotel
Lunch: me and the kids at my brother's house, Jesse is using a Chipotle gift card I got using MyPoints
Dinner: Eat Out
Snack #1: Applesauce
Snack #2: Yogurt and Homemade Granola

Thursday, June 25 (synod convention finishes up Wednesday night, and then we're heading to my parents' for a couple days)

Breakfast: Hotel
Lunch: at my parents' house
Dinner: at my parents' house
Snack #1: Applesauce/Fruit Cups
Snack #2: at my parents' house

Friday, June 26

Breakfast: at my parents' house
Lunch: at my parents' house
Dinner: at my parents' house
Snack #1: at my parents' house
Snack #2: at my parents' house

Saturday, June 27

Breakfast: at my parents' house
Lunch: Hot Dogs, Macaroni and Cheese, Peas
Dinner: Chicken Fajitas with Homemade Tortillas (both already in the freezer)
Snack #1: Applesauce/Fruit Cups
Snack #2: Popcorn

Sunday, June 28

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Dinner: Gluten Free Mushroom Broccoli Alfredo
Snack #1: Trail Mix
Snack #2: Apples

Monday, June 29

Breakfast: Eggs and Sweet Potatoes
Lunch: Taco Soup
Dinner: Stuffed Peppers
Snack #1: Bananas
Snack #2: Black Bean Brownies

Tuesday, June 30

Breakfast: Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Muffins
Lunch: Leftover Taco Soup
Dinner: Southern Chicken Stew, Biscuits
Snack #1: Energy Bites
Snack #2: Black Bean Brownies

Wednesday, July 1

Breakfast: Leftover Chocolate Banana Muffins
Lunch: Leftovers from the past few dinners
Dinner: Broccoli Ham Egg Bake
Snack #1: Yogurt
Snack #2: Energy Bites

Thursday, July 2

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries
Dinner: Oatmeal Pancakes, Cinnamon Apples
Snack #1: Canned Fruit
Snack #2: Popcorn

Menu Plan: June 2-15

One of the boys' favorite things to do is to play "kitchen", where they each get a baking sheet and various ingredients to mix together.  It's my way of letting them practice and get messy without actually being messy in the kitchen.  Eventually they'll move onto the real thing.

Tuesday, June 2
Breakfast: Eggs, Toast, Canned Peaches
Lunch: Crockpot Baked Potatoes with Ham, Broccoli, and Cheese
Dinner: Cobb Salads
Snack #1: Treat from the grocery store (we got cookies)
Snack #2: Popcorn

Wednesday, June 3
Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Turkey Bacon Wraps
Dinner: Cobb Salads
Snack #1: Trail Mix
Snack #2: Pears

Thursday, June 4

Breakfast: Gluten Free version of Whole Wheat Whatever Muffins
Lunch: Turkey Bacon Wraps
Dinner: Chicken, Black Beans, and Mexi Rice
Snack #1: Energy Bites
Snack #2: Bananas

Friday, June 5

Breakfast: Eggs and Fried Potatoes
Lunch: Sandwiches, Apples
Dinner: Leftover Chicken, Black Beans, and Mexi Rice
Snack #1: Yogurt
Snack #2: Apples

Saturday, June 6

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Nutella
Lunch: Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries
Dinner: Mini Pepper Nachos with Chicken
Snack #1: Puppy Chow
Snack #2: Canned Fruit

Sunday, June 7

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Chicken Quesadillas
Dinner: Mexican Beef and Tomato Skewers, Poblano Sweet Potatoes
Snack #1: Puppy Chow
Snack #2: Fruit Salad

Monday, June 8

Breakfast: Eggs, Leftover Poblano Sweet Potatoes
Lunch: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Dinner: Ground Turkey and Pinto Bean Tacos
Snack #1: Energy Bites
Snack #2: Fruit Salad

Tuesday, June 9

Breakfast: Ham and Cheese Omelets (I've mastered the two egg omelet, but not three)
Lunch: BLTs, Celery and Peanut Butter Dip
Dinner: Leftover Tacos
Snack #1: Homemade Granola and Craisins
Snack #2: Bananas

Wednesday, June 10

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Chili with Ground Turkey
Dinner: Grill Out Hot Dogs and Brats, Fries
Snack #1: Trail Mix
Snack #2: Pears

Thursday, June 11

Breakfast: Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Lunch: Leftover Chili
Dinner: Oatmeal Pancakes, Cinnamon Apples
Snack #1: Popcorn
Snack #2: Bananas

Friday, June 12

Breakfast: Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Lunch: Sandwiches, Carrots and Ranch
Dinner: Chicken Bacon Ranch Mushroom Pizza
Snack #1: Energy Bites
Snack #2: Apples

Saturday, June 13

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Pears
Lunch: Egg Salad, Crackers, Canned Fruit
Dinner: Sausage Skillet
Snack #1: Popcorn
Snack #2: 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies (these have gotten bumped from the last two menu plans for other treats)

Sunday, June 14

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Smothered Chicken, Garlic Butter Rice, Corn
Snack #1: Trail Mix
Snack #2: Apples

Monday, June 15

Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Chicken Enchilada Chili
Dinner: Chicken Fried Rice
Snack #1: Peanut Butter Cookies
Snack #2: Canned Fruit

Menu Plan May 18 - June 1

Hannah's birthday brownies from last week

I don't think I posted the menu plan for the beginning of May, and I'm a few days late with this one.  Better late than never!

Monday, May 18
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Sandwiches, Fruit
Dinner: Crockpot Jambalaya
Snack #1: Energy Bites
Snack #2: Apples

Tuesday, May 19
Breakfast: Eggs and Sweet Potatoes
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Leftover Jambalaya
Snack #1: Bananas
Snack #2: Ice Cream

Wednesday, May 20

Breakfast: Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins from the freezer
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Chicken Butternut Quinoa
Snack #1: Yogurt
Snack #2: Pears

Thursday, May 21

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: BLTs, Apples, Peanut Butter Dip
Dinner: Leftover Chicken Butternut Quinoa
Snack #1: Pears
Snack #2: Popcorn

Friday, May 22

Breakfast: Eggs with Ham and Cheese
Lunch: Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries
Dinner: Pizza with Spinach, Mushrooms, Black Olives, and Pepperoni
Snack #1: Apples
Snack #2: Yogurt

Saturday, May 23

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Pears
Lunch: Chicken Fried Rice
Dinner: Gluten Free Lasagna Casserole
Snack #1: Bananas
Snack #2: Homemade Granola

Sunday, May 24

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftovers/Sandwiches
Dinner: Crockpot Beef and Broccoli
Snack #1: Mom's Lazy Trail Mix
Snack #2: Canned Mixed Fruit

Monday, May 25

Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Italian Sausage and Rice
Dinner: Ground Turkey and Pinto Bean Salads
Snack #1: Energy Bites
Snack #2: Pears

Tuesday, May 26

Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Leftover Italian Sausage and Rice
Dinner: Ground Turkey and Pinto Bean Salads
Snack #1: Pears
Snack #2: Popcorn

Wednesday, May 27

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Mini Pepper Nachos with Pinto Beans
Dinner: Chicken Pepper Bake
Snack #1: Bananas
Snack #2: Oranges

Thursday, May 28

Breakfast: Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Muffins
Lunch: Baked Potatoes with Ham and Broccoli
Dinner: Oatmeal Pancakes, Cinnamon Apples
Snack #1: Oranges
Snack #2: Energy Bites

Friday, May 29

Breakfast: Leftover Muffins
Lunch: Black Bean Taco Soup
Dinner: Grill Out Hot Dogs and Brats, Fruit
Snack #1: Popcorn
Snack #2: 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Saturday, May 30
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Peaches
Lunch: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Tomato Soup
Dinner: Mexican Chicken Soup with Navy Beans
Snack #1: Canned Mixed Fruit
Snack #2: 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Sunday, May 31

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftover Mexican Chicken Soup
Dinner: Roast with Potatoes, Onions, and Carrots
Snack #1: Mom's Lazy Trail Mix
Snack #2: Apples

Monday, June 1

Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Chicken Fajitas
Snack #1: Imitation Starbucks Lemon Loaf
Snack #2: TBD 

Menu Plan April 16-30

I'm a few days behind posting this, but I figured I would do it anyways.  I always think it's helpful to see other people's, so hopefully mine helps someone else!

Thursday, April 16
Breakfast: Eggs, Bacon, and Sweet Potatoes
Lunch: Hot Dogs, Macaroni and Cheese
Dinner: Sausage Spinach Skillet
Snack #1: Apples
Snack #2: Energy Bites

Friday, April 17
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips
Lunch: BLTs, Apples
Dinner: Pinto Bean and Ground Turkey Taco Salads
Snack #1: Pears
Snack #2: Yogurt and Granola

Saturday, April 18
Breakfast: Gluten Free Chocolate Banana Muffins
Lunch: Homemade Lunchables for the kids, Leftovers
Dinner: Leftover Taco Salads
Snack #1: Apples
Snack #2: Bananas

Sunday, April 19
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: At my parents' house
Snack #1: Applesauce
Snack #2: At my parents' house

Monday, April 20
All day at my parents' house

Tuesday, April 21
Breakfast: At my parents' house
Lunch: At my parents' house
Dinner: Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizzas
Snack #1: At my parents' house
Snack #2: Canned mixed fruit

Wednesday, April 22
Breakfast: Muffins from the freezer
Lunch: Black Bean Burgers from the freezer
Dinner: Chicken Fajita Soup
Snack #1: Hot Chocolate and Marshmallows
Snack #2: Apples

Thursday, April 23
Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Leftover Soup/Soups from the freezer
Dinner: Chicken Quesadillas
Snack #1: Canned Peaches
Snack #2: Popcorn

Friday, April 24
Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Stuffed Peppers
Snack #1: Mom's Lazy Trail Mix
Snack #2: Grapes/Berries

Saturday, April 25
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Pears
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Wedding Reception for church members
Snack #1: Grapes/Berries
Snack #2: Popcorn

Sunday, April 26
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Dinner: Salad with Steak, Yellow Peppers, Mushrooms, and Onions
Snack #1: Mom's Lazy Trail Mix
Snack #2: Apples

Monday, April 27
Breakfast: Eggs, Sweet Potatoes, and Bacon
Lunch: Mini Pepper Nachos with Pinto Beans
Dinner: Chicken Pepper Bake
Snack #1: Yogurt
Snack #2: 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Tuesday, April 28
Breakfast: Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Lunch: Pinto Bean and Ground Turkey Chili
Dinner: Grill Out Hot Dogs and Brats, Fruit
Snack #1: Apples
Snack #2: Energy Bites

Wednesday, April 29
Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Leftover Chili
Dinner: Oatmeal Pancakes, Cinnamon Apples
Snack #1: Popcorn
Snack #2: Bananas

Thursday, April 30
Breakfast: Yogurt and Granola 
Lunch: Sandwiches, Fruit
Dinner: Chicken Fried Rice
Snack #1: Energy Bites
Snack #2: Canned Pears

Menu Plan April 1-15

After taking a month or so off from sharing my menu plans, they're back on the blog!  And after going waaaaay over budget last month, mostly from impulse snack purchases, it's our family goal this month to get back on track.  So in addition to the three meals, I've planned out two snacks for each day so we can keep better track of our money there.  It actually wasn't much more work than the original menu plan, because we generally do one fruit and one oat-based snack, with a few variations.  It's more just keeping an accurate count of what we need to buy (and maybe not choosing the grocery store as our destination for family walks so often...)

Wednesday, April 1
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Stuffed Peppers
Snack #1: Leftover sweets (my parents brought a pie and we have a bit of birthday cake left, plus Easter candy)
Snack #2: Apples and oranges (finishing up fruit from the last grocery trip)

Thursday, April 2
Breakfast: Eggs and Sweet Potatoes
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Ground Turkey and Pinto Bean Tacos
Snack #1: Celery/Peanut Butter/Craisins
Snack #2: Apples and Oranges

Friday, April 3

Breakfast: Eggs and Bacon
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Ground Turkey and Pinto Bean Tacos
Snack #1: Carrot Sticks and Ranch
Snack #2: Hot Chocolate with Mini Marshmallows

Saturday, April 4

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Pears
Lunch: BLTs, Apples, Peas
Dinner: Pizza with Black Olives, Mushrooms, Ham, and Spinach
Snack #1: Bananas
Snack #2: Yogurt

Sunday, April 5

Breakfast: Easter Breakfast at church (I'm bringing Gluten Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins, so I know Hannah will have something to eat)
Lunch: Eating out to reward children for making it through 3 services
Dinner: Sausage Spinach Skillet (gluten free noodles)
Snack #1: Mom's Lazy Trail Mix (craisins, chocolate chips, cereal, graham crackers)
Snack #2: Popcorn

Monday, April 6 - Tuesday, April 7

Traveling to Winona to visit my parents

Wednesday, April 8

Breakfast: Chocolate Banana Muffins (using all oat flour)
Lunch: Mini Pepper Black Bean Nachos
Dinner: Chicken Cacciatore
Snack #1: Bananas
Snack #2: Yogurt and Homemade Granola

Thursday, April 9

Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries
Dinner: Southern Chicken Stew, Biscuits
Snack #1: Apples
Snack #2: Energy Bites

Friday, April 10

Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Grilled Cheese on Honey Oat Bread and Tomato Soup
Dinner: White Chili
Snack #1: Grapes
Snack #2: Yogurt and Homemade Granola

Saturday, April 11

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Peaches
Lunch: Leftovers from past couple dinners
Dinner: Ham and Bean Soup, Biscuits
Snack #1: Canned Fruit Cocktail
Snack #2: Popcorn 

Sunday, April 12

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftover Ham and Bean Soup and Biscuits
Dinner: Crockpot Beef and Broccoli
Snack #1: Mom's Lazy Trail Mix
Snack #2: Energy Bites

Monday, April 13

Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Crockpot Italian Sausage, Peppers, and Onions over Rice
Dinner: Oatmeal Pancakes, Cinnamon Apples
Snack #1: Canned Peaches
Snack #2: Apples

Tuesday, April 14

Breakfast: Eggs and Sweet Potatoes
Lunch: Leftover Italian Sausage
Dinner: Crockpot Mexican Chicken Soup
Snack #1: Bananas
Snack #2: 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Wednesday, April 15

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Hot Dogs, Macaroni and Cheese
Dinner: Leftover Mexican Chicken Soup
Snack #1: Canned Pears
Snack #2: Applesauce

Menu Plan February 1-15

We had a delicious spread for our Superbowl dinner, all homemade!  The cupcakes were from the freezer, as was the pizza crust, and the rest we did bit by bit over Saturday and Sunday, so it actually wasn't too hard.

Week 5 Challenge: Try 2 new whole foods.  We've tried a few new ones already.  First, along with our jalapeno poppers on Sunday, we had one Anaheim pepper.  That was good for the kids, who don't like spicy things, as it was more of a sweet pepper.  Last night we had a grapefruit after dinner.  Somehow I'd never tried one of those before.  I wasn't a fan, but Jonah and Hannah gobbled it up.

And finally, I attempted to make homemade yogurt using this recipe.  I think my temperatures were off, because by the time it was done, it was...basically milk.  Oh well.  I may try that again at some point.

Sunday, February 1
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftover Italian Soup
Dinner: Superbowl dinner - twice baked potatoes, chicken drumsticks, jalapeno poppers, sausage pizza, and monster cupcakes

Monday, February 2
Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Chicken Pepper Bake

Tuesday, February 3

Breakfast: Eggs and Hash (sweet potatoes, mushrooms, onion, bacon)
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: BLTs

Wednesday, February 4

Breakfast: Eggs and Leftover Hash
Lunch: Hot Dogs and Macaroni and Cheese
Dinner: Crockpot Jambalaya

Thursday, February 5

Breakfast: Baked Blueberry Oatmeal
Lunch: Mexican Quinoa
Dinner: Leftover Jambalaya

Friday, February 6

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftover Mexican Quinoa
Dinner: White Chili

Saturday, February 7

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Blueberries and Pears
Lunch: Black Bean Burgers (already made in the freezer), Sweet Potato Fries
Dinner: Southern Chicken Stew, Biscuits

Week 6 Challenge: No low-fat/nonfat products.

Sunday, February 8

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftovers from previous two dinners
Dinner: Chicken Cacciatore

Monday, February 9

Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Oatmeal Pancakes (already made in the freezer)
Dinner: Crockpot Chicken Butternut Quinoa Soup

Tuesday, February 10

Breakfast: Chocolate Pancakes
Lunch: Leftovers from previous two dinners
Dinner: Chicken Fajitas, Crockpot Refried Beans

Wednesday, February 11

Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Crockpot Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili, Gluten Free Cornbread
Dinner: Ground Turkey Tacos

Thursday, February 12

Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Leftover Chili and Cornbread
Dinner: Crockpot Italian Sausage, Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms over Rice

Friday, February 13

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Chicken and Black Bean Salads
Dinner: Leftover Italian Sausage Mix

Saturday, February 14

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Blueberries and Peaches
Lunch: Chicken and Black Bean Salads
Dinner: Crockpot Mexican Chicken Soup

Sunday, February 15

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Refried Bean and Cheese Tortillas, Fruit
Dinner: Leftover Mexican Chicken Soup

Menu Plan January 16-31

Last week's Crockpot Orange Chicken was probably my favorite meal of the entire meal plan.  We liked it so much we're having it again this time around!  We're still doing the 100 Days of Real Food mini pledges, and I have to say, I was anticipating Week 3 being one of the more challenging ones.  But my husband pointed out that if we cooked one of the half chickens we got from a church member, we could spread that meat over our 3-4 meals, and just eat vegetarian for the rest of the time.  Problem solved!

To start out with, we're still on Week 2: Real beverages, with only honey or maple syrup as sweeteners.  I've discovered that coffee with whole milk and a spoonful of honey is pretty good, which is saying a lot, considering I used to be a sugar and fat-free vanilla creamer girl.

Friday, January 16
Breakfast: Leftover Southwest Frittata
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Stuffed Peppers

Saturday, January 17
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Frozen Blueberries and Peaches
Lunch: Hot Dogs, Macaroni and Cheese (the kids chose this one, and even though it's not real food at all, I like them to be a part of the meal plan too)
Dinner: Black Bean Taco Salads

Week 3 Challenge: Meat.  Only local, only eat it 3-4 times in the entire week.  Make it not the star of the meal.  The starred meals will be made using chicken cooked in the crockpot at the beginning of the week.

Sunday, January 18
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftover Black Bean Taco Salads
Dinner: Creamy Mushroom Barley Soup

Monday, January 19
Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Mexi Rice and Bean Bowl
Dinner: Chicken Pepper Bake*

Tuesday, January 20
Breakfast: Baked Blueberry Oatmeal
Lunch: Leftover Rice and Bean Bowls
Dinner: Homemade Tomato Soup, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Wednesday, January 21
Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Veggie Pizza (Red Peppers, Spinach, Black Olives, and Mushrooms) on this crust
Dinner: Black Bean Fajita Casserole

Thursday, January 22
Breakfast: Squash Hash (no bacon) and Eggs
Lunch: Pumpkin Chicken Chili*
Dinner: Leftover Black Bean Fajita Casserole

Friday, January 23
Breakfast: Leftover Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Leftover Pumpkin Chicken Chili
Dinner: Mushroom and Spinach Pasta

Saturday, January 24
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Frozen Blueberries and Pears
Lunch: Chicken Apple Peanut Butter Wraps*, Sweet Potato Fries
Dinner: Chicken and Pinto Bean Tacos*, Homemade Tortillas

Week 5 Challenge: No fast food and no deep fried foods.

Sunday, January 25
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftover Chicken and Pinto Bean Tacos
Dinner: Ham and Bean Soup

Monday, January 26
Breakfast: Eggs and Sweet Potatoes
Lunch: Chicken Salads
Dinner: Leftover Ham and Bean Soup

Tuesday, January 27
Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Baked Potatoes with Ham, Broccoli, and Cheese
Dinner: Leftover Chicken Salads

Wednesday, January 28
Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Monkey Muffins
Lunch: Out to eat at local diner (eating healthy options, so I don't consider that fast food)
Dinner: Mini Meat Loaves, Mashed Potatoes

Thursday, January 29
Breakfast: Leftover Monkey Muffins
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Crockpot Orange Chicken (doubled) and Rice

Friday, January 30
Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries
Dinner: Leftover Orange Chicken and Rice

Saturday, January 31
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Frozen Blueberries and Peaches
Lunch: Italian Sausage with Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms over Rice
Dinner: Pancakes, Baked Apples

Sunday, February 1 (because we won't be shopping until Monday)
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftover Italian Sausage
Dinner: Chicken Fajitas, Homemade Tortillas

Menu Plan January 1-15

I have been keeping up on menu planning for the most part, but now I get to share again!  Starting next week, I am going to be trying the 100 Days of Real Food Mini-Pledges, where you get one real food challenge each week.  Some will be pretty easy for our family, like this first one to have at least 2 fruits/veggies with each meal, and some will be harder, like eating something local with every meal.  Should be an interesting challenge at any rate.  The first couple days this month are working on using up some of the leftover stuff in our house.  Here's the plan:

Thursday, January 1
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Chicken Fajitas

Friday, January 2
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Out with Family
Dinner: 7 Layer Casserole (I now use 2 cups cooked brown rice instead of the instant, and frozen corn instead of canned.  And I actually have the bacon and green pepper this time!)

Saturday, January 3

Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Turkey Bacon Wraps
Dinner: Pinto Bean and Ground Beef Taco Salads

Sunday, January 4

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: BLTs
Dinner: Pinto Bean and Ground Beef Taco Salads

Week 1 Challenge: Eat 2 different fruits or veggies with each meal

Monday, January 5

Breakfast: Eggs with Sweet Potatoes, Bacon, and Mushrooms
Lunch: Chicken Quesadillas with Pinto Beans and Tomatoes
Dinner: Stuffed Peppers, Fruit

Tuesday, January 6

Breakfast: Eggs, Toast with Peanut Butter and Sliced Bananas, Apples
Lunch: Italian Sausage with Peppers/Onions/Mushrooms, served over Rice
Dinner: Chicken Pepper Bake

Wednesday, January 7 - this day may change as we are having work done on our basement and we might have to be away from home for at least lunch

Breakfast: Apple Zucchini Oat Muffins
Lunch: Leftover Italian Sausage with Peppers/Onions/Mushrooms, Rice
Dinner: Crockpot Orange Chicken (an experiment based on this recipe and another one I can't find any more, but if it turns out I'll share the recipe next menu plan! All because I made orange marmalade and it needs to get eaten...)

Thursday, January 8

Breakfast: Apple Zucchini Oat Muffins
Lunch: Baked Sweet Potatoes with Bacon, Yellow Peppers, Onions, and Mozzarella
Dinner: Crockpot Maple Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Carrots

Friday, January 9

Breakfast: Winter Squash Hash (butternut squash, mushrooms, onions, and bacon) and Eggs
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Southern Chicken Stew, Biscuits

Saturday, January 10

Breakfast: Winter Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Crockpot Turkey Tomato Soup

Sunday, January 11

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Blueberries and Pears
Lunch: Leftovers from Friday/Saturday dinners
Dinner: Pinto Bean and Ground Beef Tacos, Homemade Tortillas

Week 2 Challenge: Real beverages, with only honey or maple syrup as sweeteners.  I misread this challenge as no added sweeteners in ANYTHING, so bonus for me?  The hardest part might be figuring out how to sweeten my coffee, but I'm hoping that my palate is retrained enough that honey or syrup will work.

Monday, January 12

Breakfast: Plain Yogurt and Homemade Granola (I'll omit the brown sugar and maybe add a bit of extra honey)
Lunch: Leftover Tacos
Dinner: Crockpot Mexican Chicken Soup with added navy beans

Tuesday, January 13

Breakfast: Eggs and Sweet Potatoes
Lunch: Easy Chili with Ground Beef
Dinner: Leftover Mexican Chicken Soup

Wednesday, January 14

Breakfast: Southwest Frittata with doubled veggies
Lunch: Leftover Chili
Dinner: Gluten-Free Oatmeal Pancakes, Bacon

Thursday, January 15

Breakfast: Leftover Southwest Frittata
Lunch: Ham Sandwiches, Homemade Pickles, Apples
Dinner: Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries

Menu Plan November 1-15

I feel like I just did a menu plan and it's already a new month.  Maybe it's because grocery shopping is so much more of a pain now with my sciatic nerve issues that it just takes me that much longer to recover.  I should only need to do it two more times before baby is here though!

Saturday, November 1
Breakfast: Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (these were actually really bland, which is too bad, because they sounded good!)
Lunch: Chicken and Black Beans with Mexi Rice
Dinner: Chicken Pepper Potato Bake

Sunday, November 2
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftover Rice Bowls
Dinner: Tilapia, Mashed Potatoes, Corn

Monday, November 3

Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Soups from the Freezer, Sandwiches
Dinner: Sour Cream Ground Turkey Casserole (with gluten-free noodles)

Tuesday, November 4

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Ham and Bean Soup, Biscuits

Wednesday, November 5

Breakfast: Eggs, Bacon, Sweet Potatoes
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Ham and Bean Soup, Biscuits

Thursday, November 6

Breakfast: Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
Lunch: White Chicken Chili
Dinner: Southwest Frittata

Friday, November 7

Breakfast: Blueberry Orange Muffins
Lunch: White Chicken Chili
Dinner: Chicken and Mushrooms, Maple Glazed Carrots

Saturday, November 8

Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Chicken Mini Pepper Nachos
Dinner: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Sunday, November 9

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: PB&J or Turkey Sandwiches
Dinner: Stuffed Peppers

Monday, November 10

Breakfast: Winter Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Hot Dogs, Carrots, Applesauce (Jesse will be at a meeting all day so easy lunch for the rest of us!)
Dinner: Jesse's birthday dinner - BBQ Pork Ribs, Potato Wedges, Corn, Paleo Pumpkin Pie

Tuesday, November 11

Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Ham and Split Pea Soup
Dinner: Oatmeal Pancakes, Applesauce

Wednesday, November 12

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: BLTs
Dinner: Ground Turkey and Pinto Bean Tacos on Homemade Tortillas

Thursday, November 13

Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Baked Potatoes with Bacon, Broccoli, and Mozzarella
Dinner: Chicken Fajitas on Homemade Tortillas

Friday, November 14

Breakfast: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Lunch: Coconut Chicken Soup
Dinner: Cheeseburgers, Sweet Potato Fries

Saturday, Novembr 15

Breakfast: Eggs, Bacon, Toast
Lunch: Coconut Chicken Soup
Dinner: Fish Fillets, Potatoes, Green Beans

Menu Plan October 16-31

I got a chance to go through several gluten-free and allergy friendly ebooks earlier this week, so we're trying several new recipes from those (marked with a * below).  They all sound good, so here's hoping they taste good too!

Thursday, October 16
Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Out to Eat
Dinner: Cobb Salads

Friday, October 17
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Out to Eat (yes, we went out 2 days in a row.  I'm pregnant. It happens.)
Dinner: Cobb Salads

Saturday, October 18

Breakfast: Eggs, Squash, and Mushrooms
Lunch: Pumpkin Chicken Chili
Dinner: Dinner with Relatives

Sunday, October 19

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Pumpkin Chicken Chili
Dinner: Ranch Chicken and Potatoes Casserole*

Monday, October 20

Breakfast: Eggs, Sweet Potatoes, and Bacon
Lunch: BLTs
Dinner: Italian Quinoa Soup* (we've never tried quinoa before!)

Tuesday, October 21

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Chili, Cornbread
Dinner: Sweet Potato Zucchini Frittata*

Wednesday, October 22

Breakfast: Leftover Frittata/Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Chili and Cornbread
Dinner: Mini Turkey Loaves, Broccoli

Thursday, October 23

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Leftover Mini Turkey Loaves
Dinner: Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries

Friday, October 24

Breakfast: Baked Strawberry Oatmeal
Lunch: Sandwiches/Soups from the Freezer
Dinner: Chicken with Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes; Mashed Potatoes (I'll make extra mashed potatoes for the soup for Saturday and Sunday)

Saturday, October 25

Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Mashed Potato Soup
Dinner: Mexi Beans and Rice

Sunday, October 26

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Mashed Potato Soup
Dinner: Ground Turkey and Pinto Bean Tacos

Monday, October 27

Breakfast: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Lunch: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Dinner: Chicken Fajitas

Tuesday, October 28

Breakfast: Eggs and Leftover Muffins
Lunch: Mini Pepper Nachos with Black Beans
Dinner: Oatmeal Pancakes

Wednesday, October 29

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Pizza
Dinner: Crockpot Beef and Broccoli

Thursday, October 30

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Southern Chicken Stew and Biscuits

Friday, October 31

Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Leftover Southern Chicken Stew and Biscuits
Dinner: Fish and Fries

Menu Plan October 6-15

Because we were gone last week, I'm a bit late getting the menu posted for the first half of the month.  While we were at Jesse's conference, we did a mixture of eating out and eating in our hotel room.  I brought the crockpot along for two meals (beef and broccoli and a big batch of chili), and we also bought sandwich ingredients and snacks while we were there.  That helped us keep things a little bit cheaper, and it worked really well!

I made the beef and broccoli mix ahead of time and froze it, so it stayed nice and cold on the way there, and then I just stuck it in the fridge until the next day.  The chili came out of cans.  Easy peasy!

For more on how I menu plan, check out last week's post.  Here's the plan for the rest of the beginning of October:

Monday, October 6
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Hot Dogs, Fruit
Dinner: Veggie Spaghetti

Tuesday, October 7
Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Chicken Salads
Dinner: Oatmeal Pancakes, Bacon

Wednesday, October 8
Breakfast: Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Chicken Salads
Dinner: Ham and Bean Soup, Easy Cheesy Biscuits

Thursday, October 9
Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: BLTs
Dinner: Ham and Bean Soup, Easy Cheesy Biscuits

Friday, October 10
Breakfast: Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
Lunch: Baked Sweet Potatoes with Ham, Mushrooms, and Mozzarella
Dinner: Chicken, Maple Glazed Carrots

Saturday, October 11
Breakfast: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Lunch: Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions over Rice
Dinner: Mini Pepper Nachos with Ground Turkey

Sunday, October 12
Breakfast: Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Lunch: Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions over Rice
Dinner: Cheeseburgers, Sweet Potato Fries

Monday, October 13
Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Chicken Enchilada Chili
Dinner: Chicken Bacon Ranch Mushroom Pizza

Tuesday, October 14
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Chicken Enchilada Chili
Dinner: Egg and Cheese Biscuits

Wednesday, October 15
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Cheese Tortillas, Fruit
Dinner: Veggie Stir Fry

I'm linking up to I'm An Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

How I Menu Plan

I have been doing some form of menu planning ever since we got married, a little over seven years ago.  But my menu planning has evolved quite a bit since those days (think a list of three or so "helper" dinners, split between beef and chicken, with a random recipe thrown in).  Here's what I do now.  This might seem complicated, and it kind of is, but I know myself enough to know that if I don't write everything down, I'll miss something or forget to buy something, so this is what works for me right now.

The first thing I do is figure out the breakfasts, lunches, and dinners we will be eating for half of a month (the top half of the page above).  While I'm doing this, I check out our family calendar so I know if we have any appointments or special plans that might affect the food prep for the day.  Like Sunday lunches, for instance.  I know that we don't get home from church until lunch time, so I usually plan leftovers or sandwiches, or I know we'll end up going out to eat because the food isn't already done.

Once the meals are filled in, I list some of the repeated ingredients at the bottom of the page, and the amounts needed for each recipe they appear in.  This is the most recent addition to the menu plan, and it has helped me a ton in making sure we don't run out of eggs or cheese especially, but also all the other ingredients. It also lets me know if I'm going to end up using too much of a pricier ingredient, so I can adjust the menu if I need to.

After I list the repeated ingredients, I use another page to do my weekly prep lists.  This list is all the veggies I need to chop for each meal, meats to portion out, and extras to make, like granola or birthday cake.  Anything with a star next to it means something I can do right away and freeze.  I love this method of freezer cooking, because it means 2 hours or so of work in the first couple days, and a lot of "dump and cook" meals later on.

The third page of my menu plan, which I didn't take a picture of, is the actual shopping list.  I divide it into sections like the store - produce, meat, dairy, etc.  I copy the totals from my repeated ingredients section, and then add everything else I'll need.  We almost always have a second smaller grocery trip about a week in to get some of the fresh produce and eggs, so I write that down right away too.

It's complicated, yes.  It's not fancy and electronic, but I'm definitely a pen and paper list girl.  But this is what works for me.  It means we have food for every day planned out, plus the same rotation of snacks we usually have around.  It means I know what has to be done, and when.  And it saves my sanity when I can't remember where I put my shoes, much less how much cheese is supposed to be in tonight's dinner.

How do you menu plan?

Menu Plan September 16-30

I went shopping on Sunday afternoon.  It was nice, because I got the luxury of going by myself, but it was crazy hectic, because everyone shops on the weekends.  I like shopping on weekday mornings much better.  The good news is that I'm on track to be under budget this month!  Yay!  I haven't been for the past few months, but I've been very intentional about it this month and it's working.

Tuesday, September 16
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: BLTs (we have these a lot during tomato season because they're so good!)
Dinner: Gluten Free Spaghetti

Wednesday, September 17
Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup, Baking Powder Biscuits

Thursday, September 18

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Cobb Salads
Dinner: Leftover Ham and Bean Soup and Biscuits

Friday, September 19

Breakfast: Winter Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Chicken Enchilada Chili
Dinner: Oatmeal Pancakes

Saturday, September 20

Breakfast: Leftover Squash Hash and Eggs
Lunch: Leftover Chicken Enchilada Chili
Dinner: Crockpot Beef and Broccoli

Sunday, September 21

Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Leftover Beef and Broccoli
Dinner: Pinto Bean and Ground Turkey Taco Salads

Monday, September 22

Breakfast: Eggs and Sweet Potatoes
Lunch: Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions, served over rice
Dinner: Taco Salads

Tuesday, September 23 (Jonah's 5th birthday!)

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftover Italian sausage
Dinner: Fried Chicken (from the grocery store deli), Homemade Macaroni and Cheese (with gluten free pasta), and Chocolate Cake, at the birthday boy's request

Wednesday, September 24

Breakfast: Eggs and Toast
Lunch: Baked Potatoes with Ham, Broccoli, and Cheese
Dinner: Stuffed Peppers

Thursday, September 25

Breakfast: Yogurt and Homemade Granola
Lunch: Hot Dogs, Apples, Carrots
Dinner: Black Bean Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries

Friday, September 26

Breakfast: Zucchini Apple Carrot Muffins
Lunch: Pizza Smashers (pizza sauce, pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, and cheese between 2 slices of bread in our sandwich press)
Dinner: Chicken Fajitas, Refried Beans (from the freezer)

Saturday, September 27

Breakfast: Leftover Zucchini Apple Carrot Muffins

Lunch: Refried Bean and Cheese Tortillas, Apples, Baby Carrots
Dinner: Crockpot Jambalaya

Sunday, September 28
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Leftover Jambalaya

Monday, September 29

Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Chicken Barley Soup, Biscuits
Dinner: Fish Fillets, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Tuesday, September 30

Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Leftover Chicken Barley Soup and Biscuits
Dinner: Planned Dinner Out