Menu Plan Monday ~ 24 Jan

Woo!

What a busy weekend!

I feel like I need a weekend to recover from the last two days, but I know that this week is going to be just as busy/crazy as the last. Lots going on for us over the next four or five weeks and we have something going on almost every weekend and most weekends it is two or three things.

Needless to say, I’m taking my vitamins, making sure we all get lots of sleep, and falling back on my planning instincts.  That’s the only way we’ll make it through all of this in one piece, I think.

Part of that is my menu planning. Someone told me this weekend that they admired me for “being so organized” and planning my family’s menu for the week. I told her that it was really just a survival tactic, because otherwise, I would fall back on bad habits of take out and fast food dinners and that’s not good for our bodies or our budget. 

And, if I have the menu plan, I at least feel like something in our lives is under control, even when other things are not. Being able to stop in the middle of a hectic day and cook what I have already planned out is like an oasis in the middle of chaos for me.

And then I can jump back in to the craziness and keep going, knowing everyone’s tummies are filled and happy.

Here’s what’s on tap for the week this week – we’re “eating down” as my step dad says  – making use of leftovers to make room for more good cooking next week:

• Pasta Fagioli (one day I’ll have to tell you the story about my soup making experience this weekend. That deserves a blog post all of it’s own)
• BBQ sandwiches – from the leftover pork roast from last week
• "Baked" Chicken – this was on last week’s menu but didn’t get made so I need to get that bird cooked and soon!
• Chicken Tenders  and homemade fries w/ salad (fallback on a night when SuperMan is late)
• Creamy Pasta with Chicken (made w/ the leftovers from the Baked Chicken – this is another new recipe from the new cookbooks)
• Sloppy Joes (fallback if I need another dinner item one night)
• Friday Night Mexican (out)

What are your dinner plans this week?

Hop on over to orgjunkie.com for some more menu planning (and more) ideas.