Menu Plan Monday ~ 14 November 11

Wow!

Can you believe it? Only one more week and it’s Thanksgiving!

And then, we’re rushing headlong into Christmas…

I can hardly believe we are here already. Seriously. Where has the last year gone?

I think we need to add another month in the calendar… something between Halloween and November that will allow us to get a little leg up on holiday preparations. It’s almost too much to jump out of our Halloween costumes, straight into Turkey Day and before you know it, we’re drinking eggnog and singing carols.

Somebody slow down the merry-go-round!

All this holiday craziness, added to some big work projects (for SuperMan and me) means that I’ve got to get my act together… menu planning becomes even more important. I don’t want to be caught unprepared and not knowing what to cook – that will just mean added (unnecessary) stress and angst and I have enough of that without going looking for more!

I’m working on something my mom told me to do a long time ago (and I’ve actually been working on it for a while now) – I’m compiling a list of all the different dinner ideas I have – things I know my family likes and that I can refer to when I’m at a loss as to what to cook (or feel like I’m stuck in a rut)

I’m not doing anything fancy with it (although the temptation to make a cutesy little list is there) – I’m just keeping a running list on index cards for right now. But, I’m finding it really helpful in coming up with some variety in our dinner planning. Especially when I’m cooking from the pantry and want to see what I can come up with based on what I have (and avoid a shopping trip!)

So, after referring to my ever-growing list, here’s what’s on tap for this week:

Monday: Stir Fry Chicken & Rice (using this yummy-looking recipe)
Tuesday: Spaghetti & Garlic Bread
Wednesday: Pork Chops & Rice
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: Homemade pizzas or Pizza Braid (with leftover spaghetti sauce from Tuesday)
Saturday: BBQ
Sunday: “Baked Chicken,” Rice & Gravy