Menu Plan Monday 5/31

 

 

Pasta with Sausage Sauce and bread with olive oil

Grilled Caesar Chicken with Rice (Crispy Pepperoni)

Salsa Sloppy Joes with tater tots (Chicken Fries)

Tacos Mac and Cheese (Pasta)

Homemade Pizza

Spicy Honey Mustard Chicken and Potato Skins (Hash Browns and Bacon)

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 

Last week went mostly according plan until Saturday when we did a quick menu change to make a Buffalo Chicken Pizza with the leftover dough from the night before and then made Hamburgers and tater tots for the adults and Hash browns and Bacon for my son. We had company at dinner time and had to adjust to feed everyone so it was a little thrown together but still tasty and already in the house.  

I made up this weeks menu to be easy since we are in the home stretch of a lot of school projects and the pool is open. We might have to do school work or want to go to the pool for a little bit before dinner on a few nights. I think that some of the meals might change a little. Plus with all the school work and pool time, I think that I am putting off the monthly shopping trip for a little bit so using up what is left in the house. Although we are out of a bunch of things, there is still a lot left to make it through for awhile so maybe I will be able to put it off for a bit but I have some free time on Thursday so who knows. We still have egg, butter and milk so plenty of yummy things can be made for sure. I am planning on pumpkin bread, chocolate chip bars and soft pretzels.  We started making soft pretzels every weekend and have really mastered the process.  Super yummy and tasty and way easier then I ever thought that they would be. Fingers crossed for a yummy week. How are you adjusting to summer weather and summer schedule??

Menu Plan Monday 5/24

 

 

Pasta with Sausage Sauce and garlic bread

Grilled Caesar Chicken with Rice (Crispy Pepperoni)

Chicken Paninis and mac and cheese (Chicken Fries)

Ground Beef Tacos (Pasta)

Homemade Pizza

House Autry Fried Chicken and Tortilla Crusted Chicken with mashed potatoes or Spicy Brown Stir Fry with rice (Hash Browns and Bacon)

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 

Last week was a long week and we were done with the meal plan by Thursday. I decided to make Hash Browns and Bacon which I was planning for my son and we both had it.  My husband had hamburger on the grill and I used the leftover grilled chicken and mac and cheese to make him chicken buffalo mac and cheese. Friday we did  Pizza Hut take out which we normally do once a month but this was a perfect week for it because I was exhausted. Saturday was busy and we pulled all the leftovers out of the fridge and we had everything in the fridge which I can't even remember what it was that we ate. Sunday we had our normal chicken wraps and homemade fries but I was barely hungry because it was a tasty day.  I had made homemade soft pretzels earlier in the day so we had already all eaten lots of things before dinner but we will still ate one of the favorite meals of the week. 

I had a lot of work to make up for on Sunday to get ready for the coming week. I made the soft pretzels which we saved a few but ate most of them. I made rolls for my husband's lunch. I made a loaf of bread for garlic bread and toast and things through the week. I made a loaf of lemon pound cake and cut up strawberries to make strawberry shortcake on the pound cake. YUM!  Nothing says summer like strawberry shortcake. I still have to cut up chicken that I bought at the store to prepare for the coming months and a few more things.  I hope that I everything one the meal plan made this week but only time will tell!!

Menu Plan Monday 4/5

 

 

Spaghetti with Meatball Sliders (Penne with garlic bread for my son)

Grilled Spiedie Chicken with Rice (Hashbrowns and Bacon for my son)

Chicken Paninis with tater tots and shoestring fries

Spicy Honey Mustard Chicken with chopped salad, mac and cheese and corn bread

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Fried Rice, Egg Rolls, Potstickers and Edamame

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

I totally forgot to post the meal plan this week with the beginning of the month grocery shopping getting in the way.  I had made one for the whole month already made though I promise. We weren't really out of that many things but there were a few things that we needed and I knew that it was best to get most of the things that we needed for the month.  I went to Aldi, Lidl, and Trader Joe's.

Last week went great and we had everything on the plan.  We really enjoyed the Lemon Chicken with Orzo and Rice.  I was sort of sad that I didn't put it in the April meal plan so we are rethinking that and might have to trade it out with a planned meal.  The Roast that I did in the crock pot and the twice stuffed baked potatoes were very tasty and I was excited to have a little leftover so that I could use it for my Panini this week.

Menu Plan Monday 3/22

 

 

Spaghetti with sausage sauce (Penne with garlic bread for my son)

Spicy Brown Stir Fry Chicken with rice (Hashbrowns and Bacon for my son)

Grilled Chicken Paninis with tater tots

Chili or Chicken Enchiladas with corn bread

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Fried Rice, Egg Rolls, Pot stickers, and Edamame

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 

I can't believe it is already the end of another month and I have to start the next month meal planning.  The great thing is that we are really well stocked on lots of different things and I look forward to changing up the menu a little more with what we are going to eat since the weather is getting nicer.  I really like the nights where were have grilled chicken because it tastes great and makes much less dishes which is always a bonus in my book!!  What fun meals do you start having because the weather is nicer?

Menu Plan Monday 3/15

 

 

Spaghetti with sausage sauce and Garlic Bread Pizza (Penne with garlic bread for my son)

Spicy Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Chicken with rice (Hashbrowns and Bacon for my son)

Salsa Sloppy Joes with mac and cheese and corn bread 

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Herb Butter Whole Chicken with sides

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 

Last week went mostly according to plan but my husband had a dentist appointment on Tuesday so we skipped the stir fry that I was planning and had breakfast for dinner instead.  I am moving the stir fry to this week so that we can have some yummy stir fry instead of the tacos that I planned.  I have to do a freezer reorganization to make sure that I am ready for the end of the month inventory because stocking up this month and changes to the plan have made the freezer upstairs a mess.  I am sure that I have enough to get through this month and probably lots for next month too.  I am excited to switch to the summer menu soon or at least partly as the weather is getting better!!

Menu Plan Monday 2/22

 

 

Lasagna (Penne for my son) with garlic bread

Ground Beef Tacos with corn bread

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches and mac and cheese and tater tots and circle fries

Chili with corn bread (from freezer)

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Breakfast for Dinner or Leftovers

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 

I totally thought that last weeks menu plan got posted but it never did so I posted it on Sunday before I posted this one.  I made two changes to last weeks menu plan before I started but we decided to go with Spicy Brown Stir Fry with Jasmine Rice (which was on this weeks plan) instead of the chicken tacos on Tuesday because I didn't have the time to make the meal that I was planning which was going to be enchiladas with the chicken and the enchilada sauce that I froze. We decided that it was a long week and we celebrated with Pizza Hut take out on Friday instead of making homemade pizza.  It was a nice break to get to not cook. 

This week I was looking to finish out the week while planning for the upcoming month.  I was excited to clean out the freezer a little more and I got the lasagna that was in the freezer out so that we could have it. I also got to use the chili out of the freezer.  There are both some favorite cold weather foods and the months are coming quickly where we will want some warm weather foods soon. I am also hoping that I can rearrange frozen food so that we can defrost it but I don't know if I am setting my hopes too high.  We have a lot of things in the freezer including lots of chicken broth and a whole turkey. I hope that I can do it with the help of a cooler and my two fridge freezers. Stay tuned and cross your fingers for me!! We are out of most of our monthly shopping items so this is the best time to make the best attempt at it before I go back to the store and pack up the fridge, freezers and pantry.

Menu Plan Monday 2/15

 

 

Pasta with garlic bread

Cheesy Chicken Taco with White Rice

Salsa Sloppy Joes and mac and cheese and tater tots and circle fries

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Fried Rice with Egg Rolls

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 

Menu Plan Monday 2/8

 

 

Pasta with garlic bread and pizza knots

Spicy Sweet and Sour Chicken with White Rice

Chicken Paninis and mac and cheese and tater tots and circle fries

Rosemary Chicken with Potatoes

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Whole Chicken with mashed potatoes and Cheesy Bacon Bread

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

Last week was mostly according to plan except I didn't take out the whole chicken so that was a little issue so I decided that we were going to have this weeks meal of Grilled Steak with twice baked potato which was amazing.  We took the grilling opportunity to make some grilled chicken to dice and put in the freezer because we missed having that to throw into fried rice and pizzas. Diced up two ham steaks and put into a few containers in the freezer.  Cooked up shredded chicken into tacos which I used to make taquitos for lunch on the weekend and froze the rest to make enchiladas next week.  Totally stocked up with diced chicken, diced ham, and shredded taco chicken ready to throw into meals. Love getting some food prepped over the weekend to make the week easier.

We had a few different leftovers so for the weekend meal we did make your own salad instead of wraps on Sunday which was amazing and filling.  I made a cutting board with sliced steak, sliced chicken, spicy chicken sliced, cubed cheese, homemade croutons, and crispy noodles. We added whatever toppings to our salad which was super tasty. Great end to our meal week and ready for another yummy week this week!!

Menu Plan Monday 2/1

 

 

Pasta with garlic bread

Lemon Herb Chicken with White Rice

Spicy Honey Mustard Chicken and mac and cheese and tater tots and circle fries

Ground beef Taco with corn bread

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Whole Chicken with mashed potatoes or garlic parmesan orzo

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 

I can't believe it is already time for the February meal plan but excited that I got to the inventory and plan early last month so that I could make sure I had enough before going shopping.  I grabbed the extra things and we needed and made a plan to include the items that we needed to use up in the pantry, fridge and freezer. We are running low on a few items including potatoes and chicken so I am starting the list of things that we need at the store for this month. I am also trying to figure out what I need to make and meal prep to be ready for the week ahead. Excited to have lots of yummy meals in the plan including some new meals that we haven't had before like the Lemon Herb Chicken.

Menu Plan Monday 1/25

 

 

Pasta with garlic bread

Chicken Fried Steak with White Rice

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Swiss and tater tots and curly fries

Ground beef Taco Rice or Homemade Hamburger Helper

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Fried Rice, Potstickers and Egg Rolls

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 

Last week was a good week.  We had chili on the menu which we crossed off because we had so much leftover from the last batch that we were just finishing it up so we replaced it with Fried Rice, Egg Rolls and Edamame which was crossed off earlier in the month. I mixed up the leftover Southwest Chicken Tortilla soup to make it a little creamier with some cheese and cream cheese.  It was tasty! But the best meal of the week was our Steak with au gratin potatoes from Omaha Steak and I made homemade twice baked potatoes.  It was a clearance steak that I got from Harris Teeter which was a filet originally priced at $17.99 per pound!! We enjoyed our yummy meals a lot!  We are at the end of another month and lots more meals that were prepared. 

January was my first month with the printable monthly menu planner which is a little different for me.  It was super easy to come back and do the next month's menu because I just used the same menu and erased the things we weren't having and replaced them with other meals. So it might have even made it easier to plan after I took the inventory.  Ready to start February!!

Menu Plan Monday 1/18

 

 

Pasta with garlic bread

Chicken Tacos with White Rice and Corn Bread

Fried Rice, Egg Rolls, Edamame, and Potstickers

Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Steak with baked potatoes or au gratin potatoes

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 

I really need to rethink this Monday post because it is a tough day for me to remember to post I guess because this didn't go up this week either.  We have already had three of the meals and this didn't get published yet.  The week is going to plan.  I originally had chili on the menu but the last chili we took out had lots of leftovers which we more recently finished so I didn't have an interest in pulling out another one so I grabbed a meal that we had crossed off before in favor of the Lidl pizza that I bought so I knew that we had everything we needed to have Fried Rice and all the fun stuff.  We are going to have a new creative version of Chicken Tortilla Soup tomorrow if I can get everything in the crockpot and make it tasty by dinner.  Looking forward to the rest of the week for all the dinners we have planned. I already have the February meal plan mostly hammered out and the inventory taken so I am super ahead of the meal planning game.  Do you have any fun meals on the menu coming up??

Menu Plan Monday 1/11

 

 

Pasta with garlic bread

Alice Springs Chicken with White Rice (Hash browns and Bacon)

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Salsa Sloppy Joes with circle fries and curly fries

Pizza Hut

Fried Rice, Edamame, Potstickers, and Egg Rolls

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 

I made the post and thought it went out on Monday and it took me until Friday to see that it didn't get posted.  The week is busy but great news is that meals are going as planned!!

Menu Plan Monday 1/4

 

 

Pasta with garlic bread

Sweet and Spicy Stir Fry Chicken with White Rice and Green Beans

Ground Beef Tacos and corn bread 

Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Whole Chicken with mashed potatoes

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 

I found a new calendar online so that I could type the menu plan and print.  Sadly, my computer was giving me problems so I lost part of the plan because I didn't save before it crashed.  Luckily I was able to put it back together again.  I have the whole month planned and printed.  I put the calendar on the other side so that everyone knows what is going on for the month.  Here is hoping that we are set for the coming month with everything even though the store was out of pepperoni and a few other things.  I need to get into the kitchen and make some treats.  It has been busy with everyone home for the two weeks of the holiday.  

 I am hopeful for the schedule to get back to normal but I am happy that I was able to get so many things checked off the to do list.  My son crushed all of the metal cans in the recycling.  My husband cleaned, painted, and added shelving to my laundry room.  I recycled glass and ran all my normal errands like the bank, library and more.  We worked with a lawyer to set up a will and a mortgage person to refinance the house while rates are still low.  We took down all of the Christmas decorations and still have some reorganization to get it all put away.  Super happy to have the things checked off the list even though there are a few more things to get done. How did your break go??

Menu Plan Monday 11/30

 

 

Pasta with garlic bread

Baked Potato Soup with cheese and bacon (Hash browns and Eggs for my son)

Sweet and Spicy Stir Fry Chicken with White Rice and Green Beans

French Dip Sloppy Joes with mac and cheese and corn bread

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Movie Night with Leftovers and Apps

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

I think that I forgot to post my meals the last few weeks because Sunday night and Monday are very hectic.  I could normally get things going after school started and now I am kind of running school with my virtual learner on Monday.  I will start working out a better system but it has been an adjustment for sure.  We have a menu plan set up for the week from the freezer and pantry inventory that I took over the weekend.  I still have about 5 days to fill in for the rest of the month but tons of options on what to put in the meal plan.   Looking forward to figuring out how to best use the great things in the pantry and freezer this month.

Can you guys believe that it is December already?  Hope you have started your inventory and figuring out your meal plan? Is anything changing with the months getting colder?  We are working on adding in more casseroles and soups but we are going to be missing the grilled food for sure!!

Menu Plan Monday 11/9

 

 

Pasta with garlic bread

Salsa Sloppy Joes with mac and cheese and corn bread

Grilled Montreal Chicken  with White Rice

Rosemary Chicken and Egg Noodles

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

Last week went fairly close to plan although I didn't take out the meat soon enough so we did have Tacos until Wednesday so we just switched meals. I was glad to have everything to make the meals that we planned and thought that meant that I was pushing back the grocery shopping trip. I knew that we were going to need a few things in the middle of the month so I thought I was aiming around the middle of the month. We have most of the things to put meals on the table this week too but did that stop me from going to the store?!  Nope!!

We went out to drop off my husband's car for service so I took the advantage of having a driver and being close to the stores to hit a few.  I went to Aldi and got milk, tater tots, and a few things I thought would hold us over. Giant was on the way so I stopped to get $0.77 brownies after coupons. Safeway posted a $5 off $5 coupon on my account so I knew that my family would love some Cheez Its.  They were out of the big box so I thought I was leaving but the small boxes were on sale for 2/$5 so I got two boxes and paid only tax.  Ibotta made it hard to resist because they put out a free Thanksgiving meal so I went to pick it up at the store because it wasn't available on the grocery pick up.  I decided to go to the store closer to my house so that I could get the items that the other store was out of.  I was glad to get almost all but two items.  I also used a gift card for the purchase so there was no money out of pocket and I got money back.  I earned an additional $1 bonus too.  I totally forgot the lettuce when I was at Walmart (and the parchment paper but that isn't essential) so I had to go to Giant to get the sale on cereal and  Ritz crackers.  Luckily, the lettuce was on sale and on my way around the store I saw some clearance whole chickens so I decided to get enough to use a $5 off $25 coupon that my neighbor gave me. What was the start of the month with no shopping ended up with almost $60 in money spent so not sure that was the stock up once a month plan that I had in mind but I got a bunch of great deals.  Here is hoping to do better planning next time.

Menu Plan Monday 11/2

 

 

Pasta with garlic bread

Tacos with corn bread

Grilled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Mac and Cheese

Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes Casserole

Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)

Fried Rice with Chicken Pot Stickers 

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 

Last week went according to plan and I am excited that I have the entire November meal plan down on the calendar.  I am hoping that I can pull together all the things that we need to make all of the meals including a bunch of yummy things while still shopping for Thanksgiving and the coming month.  I have most of the things that I need in our house to make the meals that I am planning this month.  The one thing that might change things up is that my son is getting braces.  I hope that doesn't hinder all the great things that he has been eating recently but fingers crossed that he comfortable enough to eat all the meals.  Hope you have a yummy meal plan planned!! 

Menu Plan Monday 10/19

 

 

Chili with corn bread                                                                                                                              Pasta with garlic bread
Grilled Caesar Chicken with Rice
Honey Mustard Chicken with  mac and cheese
Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)
Fried Rice with Chicken Pot Stickers
Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 Last week's menu never got posted because Monday's are normally horrible but last week was horrible.  My son was in a horrible bike accident on Friday so we went to the urgent care who sent us to the ER.  We spent Saturday at the emergency dentist and recovering from the lack of sleep.   Got everything on the menu made for the week except we ended up with Leftovers on Saturday because we had so much food in the fridge.  We leave Saturday as a meal that can be easily cooked up or turned into leftover night for that reason.  Keeping my simple meal plan for the week and enjoying that it will all be super easy to get on the table during a busy week.

I started the inventory in the freezer when I did my end of the month shopping and got more chicken and ground beef.  I know that what I got will last through the next three months.  I can't wait to get the meal plan up and see what is on the shopping list for the next few months.

Menu Plan Monday 9/21

 

 

Homemade Lasagna (Penne for son) and Garlic bread
Grilled Spedies Chicken with Basmati Rice
French Dip Sloppy Joes with mac and cheese
Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes (Hashbrowns, Eggs and Bacon for son)
Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)
Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup with corn bread
Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

 Last week was a little long but we got all the planned meals on the table except on Friday.  We decided to splurge and get Pizza Hut instead of making pizza at home because it helped me stay with my son and help him finish his work for school.  This week is starting to get cold and we had some yummy meals and are excited to get to enjoy some winter meals.  How are things going in your area?

Menu Plan Monday 9/14

Pasta with Homemade Sauce and Garlic bread
Grilled Greek Chicken with Basmati Rice
Tacos with corn bread (Chicken Fries and Tater Tots for my son)
Honey Mustard Chicken Nuggets with mac and cheese
Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken, Buffalo Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)
Leftovers or Freezer Food (Mini Tacos, Corn Dogs, Chili)
Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries

Last weekend we went out of town so when we came back, my son wanted his favorite dinner because it felt like Sunday night so we ended up pushing all the meals down a day which had him confused later in the week because he couldn't figure out what day of the week it was. I crossed off Thursday meal which was the chicken tacos so I am sure we will have them some other day in the month.  I do have the whole month already planned with the items already in the house so who knows when but if we need to change out another meal.  The pizza night often uses up leftovers so we went with Salsa Sloppy Joes Pizza and Buffalo Chicken Pizza for the adults and Pepperoni Pizza for my son and Pepperoni Pizza Knuckles for everyone.

I haven't been to the store yet this month and I do really need to get to the store but school makes that very hard with the change in schedule.  The great thing is that I have tons of food in the house so we still have a bunch to make it through the month.  I know that I will make it in the next few weeks or when we run out of something that we can't live without which might be cheese, turkey lunch meat or tortilla chips.  I guess we will see what the item is that has me running to the store.  Anything your family can't live without?

Menu Plan Monday 9/7

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Tater Tots
Pasta with Homemade Sauce and Garlic bread
Grilled Sweet Chili Chicken with Jasmine Rice
Salsa Sloppy Joes with mac and cheese
Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni, Garlic Chicken and Pizza Knuckle Roll Ups)
Baked Potato Soup with Bacon (eggs and hash browns for my son)
Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and Homemade French Fries


I don't know what happened but my blog changed formats again and published this before I actually put the meal plan on it for the week so it looked a lot like last week.  We were out of town over the weekend so I didn't get things updated yet.

We had a busy weekend and now we are looking for an easy week to get school started.  I don't know how much free time I am going to have with all the changing of classes and links for the first week but I am super hopefully we will catch on to this schedule quickly.  I hope that if you are heading back to school that you are ready for all the busy times to start again!!  I know it seems like the summer has been going on for 7 months sometimes but other times it seems like it just started and I can't believe it is school time again!