Hello menu planners! I’m so loving the comments from all of you that are new to menu planning and are finally enjoying the benefits menu planning offers. I honestly don’t know how I ever got by when I wasn’t menu planning. Well that’s not true, what I did was muddle along spending way too much money on groceries that I didn’t end up using or weren’t very healthy not to mention all the head space figuring out what to cook for dinner at the last minute took up. Menu planning has made such a huge difference in my life and I’m so thankful to have this platform to encourage and support others to give it a try. So if you are still on the fence, try it for just one week and see what happens. I’m confident, as I’m sure all the other wonderful ladies that join me here each week would agree, that you’ll find it’s worth it!!!
Aimee left me a great question last week that I thought I’d answer here. She asked “do you make something new each night/week or do you have favorites that you go back to over and over again?”. Truth is I’m not a very good cook on my own, I rely on good recipes to make me a better cook. Without them I think I’d be in real trouble. So I figure if I’m cooking with a recipe anyway why not try a new recipe out. I love pouring through my recipe magazines and picking out new recipes to try. I also get bored easily so trying new recipes keeps me excited about cooking. No they don’t always turn out but then I can just blame it on the recipe and not on my cooking….LOL. I will usually break out the tried and true recipes though when company’s coming over, you know just to be on the safe side :)
In case you haven’t seen it yet I’ve put together a separate post featuring helpful online recipe sites and other menu planning resources here.
Recipe highlights from my menu last week include:
Hash Brown Sausage Bake ~ this was a really delicious recipe, a great one to freeze or bring to a potluck
Oven-Baked Fried Chicken ~ yummy, quick and healthy!
On our menu this week:
Monday: Zesty Corn Quesadillas with Spinach Mandarin Salad
Tuesday: 40 Clove Garlic Chicken served with perogies and broccoli
Wednesday: Spud Special Soup with fresh bread made in the bread machine
Thursday: Yankee-Doodle Sirloin Roast served with rice and frozen veggies
Friday: Leftover buffet
Saturday: Burritos
WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU THIS WEEK?
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I often think about how did I manage to pull a meal together before menu planning. It is amazing the difference it makes to the running of the house, especially I think when you have little ones, who really don’t enjoy being taken off to the supermarket at 5.00pm to get the ingredients for dinner. Thanks for sharing the inspiration.
Looks like a good week. Mine is fairly boring but frugal, as I am eating out of my freezer.
Thanks for hosting!
MJ
Hi Laura thank you for letting me know last week about the Hash Brown Sausage Bake still haven’t made it,I think I’ll make it this week for sure..We love the 40 clove garlic chicken yum have a wonderful week meal planning/organizing queen!!! thanks for hosting..
Thanks for hosting.
Thanks for your list. I often use http://www.taste.com.au
Sounds like a interesting week. YUM!
I agree! I definitely can’t imagine getting by without a menu. I also try to throw in a couple of new recipes along with my tried and true favorites. Your menu looks great!
I agree with Planning Queen. Your Menu Plan Monday has saved me from tearing my hair out and saved us some $$ too! Thanks so much for hosting. Your menu sounds good this week too!
Planning menus has halped me save SOO much on my grocery bill! Thanks for hosting! :)
Thanks for hosting- from the lazy cook :)
I am hosting a 6-week Pantry Challenge Contest!
http://weblog.xanga.com/Divine_Diva_in_NC/653161490/pantry-challenge-contest–week-1-of-6.html
I hope that some of ya’ll will come join us!
Hey, looks like it is the week for quesadillas! lol I never considered quesadillas as a dinner meal until I saw it on someone else’s Menu Plan Monday. My family loves them, so why not make them for dinner instead of just lunch?
Also, I use your technique of “blaming the recipe” just in case it doesn’t turn out as well as I had hoped! Have a great week!
Your menu sounds so exciting, hopefully I can work up to being that organised
Thanks for hosting such a great idea, Laura! Today was my very first Menu Plan Monday, and it was so fun! I’m looking forward to many more. :)
I hate food ruts, but my husband and children like to see familiar items. I am always bringing in new recipes, but I respect their wishes by having standards at least twice a week.
Joining in for the first time – I’ve gotten rather slack at menu planning, and then have the 5pm scratch-my-head-and-wonder-what-to-cook dilemma. Hopefully this will help!
Even though I didn’t post last week, I still planned (the meals just didn’t make it to the computer, just to paper). It’s become a habit (yay!)
We usually don’t eat the same things, hubby often remarks, “This is good, shame we won’t have it again for a while.” I often feel bad about that, but I see so many good looking recipes that things just don’t make it into the rotation that often. On the other hand, whenever he tells me that he wants something, I do fit it into the menu either that week (in a leftover spot) or the next week so it’s not like I don’t fix what he wants.
The Yankee Doodle Sirloin Roast sounds yummy, I bookmarked it for next week!
Your menu sounds great! Thanks for hosting.
Lisa
Sounds tasty! My menu is a bit – eh- this week. Having trouble getting too creative this week. I can’t wait to check out what everybody else is having to find some dinner time inspiration!
As always, thanks for hosting!
I love your menu week, everything sounds great!
I agree, menu planning is wonderful. This is my second week and I can’t tell you how much stress is relieved when I know what I’m making for dinner!!! NOT knowing can literally consume your entire day with worry! I am definately making menu planning a priority every week! Thank you for the encouragement! :)
I love Menu Plan Monday! I do find that when I write out a plan I’m more likely to stick to it and less likely to order pizza. This is the busiest time of year for us, so it’s going to be a stretch. And I’ll have to get the kids to cook a meal or two. But I think we can do it!
Visit To Love, Honor and Vacuum today!
Looks good! I am glad to be back menu planning and I can’t wait to check out some other great menus too!
I am in a cooking rut-always the same old same old or just easy things. Even though my menu is a simple one this week I may change things up during the week. Thanks for sharing your recipes! I have kept some and will try them eventually.
Your whole menu sounds good. I see the chicken is on at your place Tuesday and with perogies and brocolli to boot. Boy, my daughter will be over for supper that night!
It’s still cold and snowing here so I’m looking at lots of warm, crockpot kinds of things for dinner this week.
thanks for the list of resources … thats a wonderful initiative.
I have actually been picking up some recipes now from various people who post on here. Now the problem is, there are not enough meals in a week to try everything! :)
Your Yankee doodle dish sounds good! I will have to look up that one!
I’ve been a longtime reader an menu planner but this is my first MPM post! I’m trying to get back into regular blogging and this is the inspiration I needed! Thanks so much!
I just read the recipe for the Spud Special Soup on your menu this week. It sounds so yummy! I think I’ll be trying it soon.
Thank you so much for hosting this- it’s so nice to see other people’s dinner plans to help keep our plans from falling into a rut. That being said, our plans this week are kind of boring and simple since we are still unpacking and I need something to be easy around here. :)
Menu planning has made such a huge difference to us. We eat out much less, so we spend less & I think eat better. Also we throw away a lot less food as I’m able to think ahead & plan dishes that use the same ingredients.
I too need a recipe in order to cook a great meal. I always laugh at contests that say it must be an “original” recipe. Okay….whatever!! I’m not very good at throwing things together. And I’m okay with that. I love recipes and recipe books, and cooking shows.
Hi! I’m new to Menu Plan Monday!! I was doing pretty good on my own a few months ago, but with a new lo, I’ve had a hard time getting back into it. Hoping this will help!
Christie
Wild fire girl you have grown!
I love to see this.
This is the first time I’ve posted my menu- trying to keep myself on track by “publishing” my menu! LOL :-)
I printed the 40 clove garlic chicken. I too, have more garlic than I can use so this is a great way to use up something I have. Thanks!
love this site! can’t wait to check out everyone’s menus.. im in a food rut!
I too am trying freezer meals this week. I’m just way too stressed lately and figured if I plan ahead a bit maybe I can get meals on the table faster. Also need to get rid of some potatoes and eggs that I over purchased.
I decided to move my menu plans and recipes to another blog. I am really finding it helpful to plan my menues.
I was just wondering if you ever have leftovers. Right now we just cook for 2, so we MAYBE make 2 dinners a week. Maybe. And by “we”, I actually mean “my husband who does all the cooking cause I can’t”. :)
Oh trust me..the few times I have not menu planned, I feel like I lost my arm!! I am so much more organized for dinners now and it is a lot less stressful when I get home. No more is it what’s for dinner? I dunno..it’s we are having…Thank you for the inspiration to do this!
I’m the same as you and love to try new recipes, but sometimes, it’s nice just to eat spaghetti! ; )
I’m new, just posted my first menu ;)
YUM! Im a little late menu planning but I am going to add mine to the list anyways..LOL. I am also stealing your Zesty Corn Quesedilla meal…YUM! I wondered if you could help me learn how to post a link..like you did with the corn quesadilla recipe? I am using blogger…thanks
Jolene
One of the reasons I like doing the menu planning online is because it holds me accountable. On the other hand, this week we’re crazy busy and I want to put down frozen pizza five nights a week. Can I do that? :)
So, I guess I totally forgot to link my menu plan yesterday! I really need to get my thyroid checked and see if the problem is linked to my forgetfulness! lol!
Thanks for the roast recipe. It looks yummy! Your menu’s always look delish. I wish I could get it together enough to do a menu plan.