Meal plan for a MONTH

In case you missed it, I posted a month-long meal plan... and already deviated from it. Ah, well.

I's part of my no-spend month experiment.

Have you guy ever tried this- a long-term meal plan or a no-spend month?

Meal plan, again

Here we go to try again. Confession: I'm not good about sticking to a meal plan. I usually actually fix 3 or 4 of the 7 ideas. Making the plan does at least give me ideas, though!

Saturday - Monday: Cookouts. Seriously. Three in a row.

Tuesday: Leftover burgers. Not that I really want another burger (see above)

Wednesday: Roast chicken

Thursday: Pasta

Friday: Chicken pot pie?

Saturday: Eating out at Paradise Bakery at a blogger get-together. Josh will probably eat with his brothers

Sunday: Grilled cheese & tomato soup - I'm working Sunday night to do some after-hours processing at work, so this will be quick. Also, it's my dad's birthday, so we may go to lunch with them after church, so won't be that hungry.

Boring menu plan

The goal for the next 2 weeks is to do no grocery shopping- we've got a full freezer and should start eating through it, at some point.

Monday - Beef stew
Tuesday - Asparagus soup? I should probably have a back-up plan, in case Josh hates this.
Wednesday - Breakfast (toast, eggs, bacon)
Thursday - Lasagna
Friday - Pizza or leftovers
Saturday - Cookout with friends
Sunday - Roast chicken

Next week - Chicken leftovers

Trying a menu, again

I planned my meals last week, and it worked really well, except we ended up eating out with guests more than I expected.

Can I do the menu-planning thing again? We're going out of town, next weekend, so this is a short week.

Monday: Fettuccine alfredo & garlic bread
Tuesday: Beer brats & green beans
Wednesday: Breakfast (bacon, eggs, toast, maybe hashbrowns)
Thursday: Chicken & rice (didn't happen last week)
Friday: Dinner at rehearsal dinner
Saturday: Dinner at wedding reception
Sunday: Oh geez, I'm not going to feel like cooking since we'll just be getting back. We'll see.

Menu Plan for Guests

Dan & Larissa are coming to visit Friday through Sunday, and I'm super-excited! This is an impromptu visit, since I just found out they're coming two days ago. Thing is, they don't eat much meat, and when they do, they prefer "happy meat" (free range, organic, local). I totally get that, and want to plan a local menu for them while they're here.

• Monday - Leftovers
• Tuesday - Cinco de Mayo! Mexican something- probably tacos & refried beans.
• Wednesday - Biscuits & gravy
• Thursday - Chicken & rice
• Friday - "Happy" Burgers & green beans & salad w/ dill dressing
• Saturday
• Breakfast - Crepes (filled with local, organic apple or pear butter)
• Lunch - Brown rice & veggies
• Dinner - Eat out? (Conners will be at a party; this will be just Josh & me)
• Sunday
• Breakfast/Brunch - Quiche & strawberries & yogurt
• Lunch (if we have lunch rather than brunch) - Fettuccine alfredo & garlic bread
• Dinner - Leftovers, then go see Star Trek!

I need to buy:

• heavy cream
• fruit
• white flour
• local veggies & salad stuff- maybe asparagus?- if I have time to get to a farmers market this week

I'm in the middle of the book Animal Vegetable Miracle, and, from the book, am convinced its possible to eat seasonally and locally- and am motivated to try! This weekend will be a fun experiment, and hopefully a treat for our guests!

Meal plan through 11/17

OK, Josh & I just reworked the budget, & I'm in charge of the grocery money, because I think that will motivate me to plan meals. Previously, I didn't carry (or spend) any money at all. Here's my attempt:

Monday: Chicken sandwiches & potatoes
Tuesday: Spaghetti & meatballs (Meatballs in the freezer!)
Wednesday: Baked tilapia & green beans
Thursday: Grilled cheese & tomato soup
Friday: Breakfast
Saturday: Pizza pasta casserole (in the freezer!)
Sunday: Tacos & refried beans (Made this Wednesday instead)
Monday: Dinner with the small group

What're ya'll making for Thanksgiving? Anything?

Meals this week

Monday - Chicken tetrazini - from the freezer. Yay for cooking ahead
Tuesday - Tacos.
Wednesday - Beth's pizza recipe? Or chili. We'll see if I get around to making pizza dough or browning meat Tues. night.
Thursday - Spaghetti & meatballs
Friday - Breakfast

EDIT: Why can't I make a meal plan I actually follow? Case in point(s):

• Got home late Tuesday, ended up eating out.
  
• Had Tacos Wednesday
  
• Friends called Monday night, they're coming to dinner tonight, so I prepared the chicken pot pie filling last night for tonight's dinner. Josh requested it. I'm going to try to get an apple cobbler or pie made for our guests this afternoon, as well, since I have PILES of apples.
  
• During a meeting yesterday I made a long list of stuff I want to cook. It must be fall, with Baking Season fast approaching.

Meal plan

I don't meal plan, but I'm trying. Due to the car situation, Josh & I are getting home at the same time- 6 or later- until my car is back, so I'm going for 'quick meals' this week. I don't like eating late. Normally, I'm home an hour before Josh and have plenty of time to cook.

Monday - Ate at Wendy's on the way home from dropping the car at the car doctor, so we could get home 20 mins before people started showing up and clean in a cleaning frenzy. FAIL

Tuesday - Spaghetti & garlic bread - I made pasta sauce from my garden tomatoes over the weekend. Picked up a $5 pizza on the way home, because it was so late & we were hungry. FAIL

Wednesday - Fried Rice Spaghetti & garlic bread. Also, need to cook taco meat for tacos or rice for fried rice.

Thursday - Tacos or fried rice. We'll have to have this meal on the table, eaten, and cleaned up in teh space of about 45 minutes.

Friday - Roast chicken & veggies - a whole chicken in the crockpot. Freeze leftover meat for other meals.

Saturday - Burgers & veggies & potato wedges

Sunday - Breakfast - eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, possibly biscuits

One of the weekend days, Josh's family is coming over, but I'm fuzzy as to which one.

Joanna's goals & menu plan

Yes, I'm putting them in one post.
And, I need some ideas to use up a plethora of broccoli & cauliflower I have ended up with. What can I say? It was free at Target, so I grabbed 3 broccoli & 2 cauliflower bunches.

Goals:
- put away clean dishes
- make dinner
- straighten up before people get here
- make sugar cookies
- make pudding cake
- shop for Sunday Suppers
- straighten church library
- Clean apartment & turn in keys

Menu plan:
M: Chicken & broccoli bake
T: Quesadillas (and broccoli?! is that allowed?)
W: Italian Sausage Soup (and broccoli?!)
Th: Spaghetti & meatballs, because I've been wanting to make meatballs lately (and broccoli?)
F: Pizza (and broccoli?)

And, because Jes asked: my new kitchen

Burress moving-week menu

I need to do a menu plan for the week that:
A)uses stuff in the house,
B)doesn't get many dishes dirty
C)is fairly convenient, because I'd rather be moving stuff than cooking.

Monday: Fish fillets & cheddar biscuits (will use 2 cookie sheets, bowl, mixing spoon, measuring cups

Tuesday: Chicken & carrots in the crock pot, mashed potatoes on the side (crock pot, bowl, spoon)

Wednesday: Spaghetti & garlic bread (pot, colander, cookie sheet)

Thursday: Tacos & rice (cookie sheet, pot, spoon)

Friday: Breakfast- eggs, bacon, biscuits or tater-tots (frying pans, spatula, cookie sheet)

Doing this lets me know what I need to leave out & what I can pack!
Saturday & Sunday will be chaotic & are up in the air. Who knows where or what we'll eat.

Burress menu 10/15-20

Monday - Tacos & rice
Tuesday - Country Fried Steak & mashed potatoes
Wednesday - Pepperoni pizza
Thursday - Breakfast
Friday - Party at our friends' house
Saturday - Marinated chicken & veggies
Sunday - Crock pot something

Burress menu for 10/9-10/14

T - chicken & rice refried bean casserole
W - chili & bread
R - steak & veggies
F - Breakfast Lasagna
S - Take father-in-law out for his birthday. Make cake?
S - crockpot meal

There's no such thing as a menu plan at our house. It does and always will change. I think the point is that I know what 's in the house, and I have a menu of options to offer.

Burress menu for 10/1-10/7

You guys all have way fancier meals than I do. Ever.

Monday - Chicken nuggets, corn, bread w/ dipping oil
Tuesday - Chicken Tetrazzini & S'mores bars - with guests! Yay!
Wednesday - Grill out - hamburgers? chicken? hot dogs?- with potato wedges & a veggie
Thursday - Tacos & rice
Friday - Pizza
Saturday - Chili, bread, corn
Sunday - Pizza casserole for Sunday Suppers (Hooray!)

Borrego menu for 10/1-10/6

Finally, this took way too long to do. I'm using a lot of recipes from a new cookbook so I can't link to them.

Meal 1: southwestern ham & rice (side: cornbread)
Meal 2: kalamata lemon chicken (side: pita wedges, salad)
Meal 3: fiesta chicken nachos (side?)
Meal 4: meatloaf (side: mashed potatoes, green beans?)
Meal 5: crockpot chicken (side: rice, veggies)

Menu for 9/17-9/21

Monday - Baked chicken & green beans
Tuesday - Squash casserole & chicken nuggets
Wednesday - Pasta & homemade spaghetti sauce (& rosemary bread?)
Thursday - Pizza & garlic bread
Friday - Chicken pot pie

Burress menu for 9/10-9/14

Monday: Pizza & garlic bread
Tuesday: Chicken nuggets & corn (& potatoes?)
Wednesday: Spaghetti with meat sauce
Thursday: Biscuits & gravy (& eggs? or hash browns?)
Friday: Baked chicken & green beans & Italian sausage soup

Burress menu for 8/22-8/31

So, yesterday, I posted Grocery Shopping as one of the things I needed to get done, because we're out of things like eggs and chicken and flour (almost). While I was trying to figure out what would be for dinner last night, and Josh sat down to look at our finances, he said "Can we go easy on the grocery budget this paycheck, to make up for going over budget on the vacation?" I agreed... but this is going to be difficult, since we didn't go shopping BEFORE our trip so nothing would go bad while we were gone. I have declared it "Clean Out the Freezer & Pantry Week", to avoid going shopping and to discover what treasures I have buried and not used in both places. I tend to go through staples and ingredients quickly, while I have a bunch of prepared foods/box dinners/canned goods piling up. While I'm not as excited about eating these all week, they really shouldn't just sit there...

• Wednesday (yesterday): Chicken nuggets, rolls, & green beans
• Thursday: eating at a friend's place
• Friday: Fish fillets & corn
• Saturday: Fetticune alfredo
• Sunday: Italian sausage soup & garlic bread?
• Monday: Frozen pizza & garlic bread
• Tuesday: Refried bean casserole
• Wednesday: Spaghetti
• Thursday: Brats & corn (grilled?)
  
• Friday: Pancakes & Bacon
  

And, I made that list, and still didn't use up many hamburger-helper-type stuff. Oh well.

McCurdy Menu 8/20-8/30

Monday- tacos
Tuesday- fish, rice and peas
Wednesday-spaghetti and salad
Thursday- Steak, potatoes and green beans
Friday- Calzones (someone help me with this...)
Saturday- sloppy joe(lunch) Chicken, mashed potatoes and corn (supper)
Sunday- Steak, Frenchfries and spinach
Monday- Pork chops, mashed potatoes and peas
Tuesday- pizza and salad
Wednesday-Chicken, baked potatoes and peas
Thursday- steak, potatoes and spinach
Friday- go camping!!!

Borrego menu 8/12-8/18

Monday: Hamburgers
Tuesday: Easy Chicken Crock Pot
Wednesday: Meatloaf & Green Bean Casserole
Thursday: Mexican Corn Bread
Friday: Fajitas
Saturday: Leftovers

Burress menu for 8/6-8/13

I've not done this menu-planning thing in a while. To top it, we're going on vacation (read:need to eat the food in the house) starting in a week, and we're having 4 extra people for dinner tomorrow.

- Monday - breakfast (eggs, sausage or bacon, hashbrowns)
- Tuesday - Bruschetta chicken (plus someone bringing mac & cheese)
- Wednesday - local meal - pasta w/ garlic & tomatoes, corn fritters & potatoes
- Thursday - State Fair trip?
- Friday - chicken & rice casserole
- Saturday - pancakes or crepes
- Sunday - tacos & rice
- Monday - whatever's left in the house.