I hate having the same thing week to week also, so menu planning can help me in that way also. I use my computer and a word pad to start, this way I can not only print out the menu, but also the grocery list. I always start with what the boys want first which is usually something like tacos or stew. Then I go from there. I enlist the help of my local grocers ads to see what meats are on sale. Or for instance, I know that my local save-a-lot always has boneless skinless chicken breasts on sale for 1.99 a lb. Because I know this I will plan three to four meals around chicken. My kids love chicken tacos, chicken stir fry, chicken stuffing casserole, and chicken cacciatore. If ground chuck is on sale at Krogers I buy that with tacos, meatballs, or meatloaf in mind… sometimes hamburgers. I go with whatever seems to be on sale after that. We also always have a meal that’s finger food at some point during that two weeks, like chicken strips with French fries or pizza. We save that meal for a Friday or Saturday night and usually camp out in the living room and watch a movie while we eat.
I started making menus because I would get home from the grocery store and not have all the ingredients that I needed to make a meal or I just wasn’t able to form a meal from what I did buy. This caused me to spend more money because I would have to go out later and purchase whatever I needed to make up the rest of the meal. If I made up a menu, I was sure to have everything I needed to make each meal plus I could afford to buy more food since I wasn’t wasting money later in the month.
After I figure out which fourteen meals we will be having, I start my grocery list. I’m big on lists, they keep me organized. I list everything that I need in order of sections at the grocery store. I start with produce since that department is at the front of the store that I do most of my shopping at. Also, I know what I will be getting at which store normally so once I have my main list done I can make sub-lists for each store. I no longer need to do that since like I said I know what I’m getting from where.
Yesterday I made up a menu and went grocery shopping. My pantry is full, my fridge is full and my freezer is almost full. Today I made Beef Stew, my eldest chose it since he doesn’t like it. He wants to “get it off the menu asap”. Tomorrow I will add to this article with a picture of the finished product and the recipe. I will add to this article daily until my fourteen days are up. Hope you enjoy watching me cook through my menu!
Ok, here are the pictures I promised! Last nights dinner was Hamburgers, kettle chips and a big salad.
Tonights dinner was chicken stir fry, enjoy the pics
2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
2bags of stir-fry veggies (kroger brand)
soy sauce
salt
pepper
2bags of microwave rice (Kroger brand)
Slice the chicken at an angle and cook on med/hi in oil until cooked through. Add the veggies and salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Cook til done. While the veggies cook, get a large bowl and fill with water, add two bags of rice and microwave for fifteen minutes. Plate and serve once the rice and veggies are done. Here is the finished product.
Broccoli and Chicken Casserole
This is a recipe that I kind of made up myself. I used 2lbs of chicken breasts, a can of cream of celery soup, garlic, chopped onion, milk and one bag of frozen broccoli. Cut up the chicken in bit size pieces and cook them until done on medium heat. Put them in a casserole dish with the rest of the ingredients and cook at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve over rice.
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