Apr 3 | Menu Planning
You know having a menu plan is a good thing, but wouldn’t it be nice if someone did it for you? And created a grocery list at the same time? Well, right here, is a free printable weekly menu plan and grocery list!
I’m a huge believer in the benefits of having a menu plan. Not only can having a menu plan save your grocery budget, it will save your sanity as well! I love menu planning and have been planning a menu nearly every week since my husband and I got married almost 10 years ago!
If you’re all too familiar with the drive thru, having a menu plan in place will help you bring back your evening meals at home. Without a plan, it’s all too easy to throw together an unbalanced meal or go to out for fast food again. Not only will you be eating better with a plan in place, you’ll be having more fun sitting down with those you love knowing that everyone is being well nourished.
However, if you’re new to planning a menu, it can be overwhelming. That’s why I’m starting a new weekly series of free printable menu plans and grocery lists for you to use!
While I would love for you to learn how to create your own menu plans, I also love to help where I can. As a busy work at home mom, I know there simply aren’t enough hours in a day for us women to do it all. We have to pick and choose what we think is best. Something I strive for in our family, but is always a work in progress, is that we’re sitting down and eating a healthy meal together on a regular basis. Preferably to a meal I cooked at home because it’s cheaper and better for us!
This FREE Weekly Menu Plan series will help you get started cooking at home with 5 meals, 1 salad, 1 dessert and side dish suggestions that you can make on your own.
That’s five meals that you can stretch however you need. Depending on your family size, you might end up having leftovers or you might end up eating it all in one go. Adapt each recipe to suit your needs. Regardless, you’ve got 5 meals planned and and two open nights for leftovers, planned take-out or something simple like sandwiches. You’ll feel so good knowing things are planned and ready to go!
Having a menu plan in place can drastically reduce your grocery bill and save you so much trouble when the clock hits 5 o’clock.
Here’s what’s in this week’s plan:
Peanut Chicken Pasta (serve with this week’s salad listed below)
Shepherd’s Pie (serve as is or with more salad)
Baked Beans (serve with steamed vegetables and buns)
Slow Cooker Meatballs (serve with steamed veggies and mashed potatoes)
Slow Cooker Taco Chicken (serve with taco fixings: cheese, guacamole, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa…etc.)
Salad: tossed salad with ranch dressing
Dessert: Caramel Sauce with apple slices
Jan 5 | No Spend Challenge, Menu Planning
no spend month meals
I told you all yesterday that I’d be back with my list of No Spend Month Meals! The list is nothing earth shattering, but perhaps you’ll find a new recipe or two that your family might enjoy! I wrote it all down in a free monthly planner my mom picked up for me from a local realtor. 😉
So according to our favourite meals and what we already have on hand in the pantry and fridge/freezers, here’s what we will be eating this month:
Dinners:
All dinners are served with vegetables and/or fruit and/or salad. Some meals will get made more than once. I will be working from the pantry as much as I can, but will be buying any ingredients that we need as well as fresh produce/dairy/meat.
Breakfasts:
- smoothies
- oatmeal
- Peanut butter toast
- Eggs and toast
Lunches:
I’m planning on freezing some of the soups so that I can take them out all month long for easy lunches.
My youngest if really starting to get into finger foods so I want to make a batch or two of Cottage Cheese pancakes and Falafels so I can freeze some.
I’d love it if you left a comment listing at least one meal idea from the list you just made! Don’t forget to check back to see the ideas that others have left!
Nov 14 | Menu Planning
This week’s Menu Plan: November 14 – 20, 2016:
Breakfasts:
- Eggs and toast
- Peanut butter toast and apples
- Waffles/cereal
Lunches:
- Leftovers
- Quesadillas and beans
- Grilled Cheese sandwiches
Dinner:
Once again, I’d love to know what you’ve got planned for your meals this week. Let me know in the comment section below!
Nov 7 | Menu Planning
Well, the verdict is in. Not having a menu plan means we don’t eat “proper” meals around here. I was feeling so drained last week that I was pulling random things out of the freezer and fridge and calling it good. While I don’t think we ate terribly, it could have been so much better if I had taken the time to plan a menu. Lesson learned…again. 🙂
Here’s the plan for November 7 – 13, 2016:
Breakfasts:
- Eggs and toast
- Peanut butter toast and apples
- Waffles/cereal
Lunches:
- Leftovers
- Quesadillas and beans
- Grilled Cheese sandwiches
Dinner:
What’s on your menu this week? Let us know in the comments!
Oct 24 | Menu Planning
Have you guys tried the Click & Collect from Superstore? I’ve been having fun trying it out the last couple of weeks and I absolutely love it! Such a time saver. And money saver too, I might add, since I’m not picking up random things that I ‘need’ each time! I’m definitely sold on the service.
This week I’m doing something a bit different for dinners. I came across the My FreezEasy Make One, Freeze One Challenge, so I signed up! You get to choose one free meal plan. I chose the Traditional plan. The idea is to make one dinner and double it to add one to the freezer. But I’m only going to make one to eat each night.
Here’s the plan for October 24 – 30, 2016:
Breakfasts:
- Oatmeal
- Peanut butter toast and apples
- Waffles/cereal
Lunches:
- Leftovers
- Soup
- Grilled Cheese sandwiches
Dinner:
I’m doing the My FreezEasy Make One, Freeze One Challenge for four meals. My husband requested Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells.
What’s on your menu this week? Let us know in the comments!
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Oct 17 | Menu Planning
What a blur last week was! I had no menu planned and we ate out entirely too often. Sometimes, life throws some things at you that requires cutting yourself some slack so the important things get taken care of. We were fed, not the most nutritious meals, but the important things got taken care of.
I’m feeling a bit more like I can tackle this week after my mini blogging break, especially since I have a menu planned! However, some things may get pushed off the list because we may have to do some hospital visits due to our situation last week. (Extended family health emergency.)
Here’s the plan for October 17 – 23, 2016:
Breakfasts:
- Oatmeal
- Peanut butter toast and apples
- Waffles/cereal
Lunches:
- Leftovers
- Smoothies
- Grilled Cheese sandwiches
Dinner:
Monday: Chicken in Basil Sauce
Tuesday: Tacos
Wednesday: Ham, mashed potatoes, veggies
Thursday: Chicken Pot Pie (freezer meal)
Friday: Hamburger Soup
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Dinner at parents
What’s on your menu this week? Let us know in the comments!
