Happy Monday everyone, I’m happy you are here. How was your weekend? We went away for the weekend and it was so nice to go on a wee road trip for a couple of days. We had so much fun visiting the zoo with the kids and I even got to hug a bear. Okay not a real bear but still pretty scary looking….lol.
It was spring break here in Alberta last week so I’m looking forward to getting back into routine this week and settling in to prepare some homemade meals after all the eating out we did.
First I’ve got a couple of great menu planning resources for you this week. Hope you find them helpful!
I absolutely love this sweet menu planning organizer. Visit the link for a complete tutorial!
10 Tips for Saving Money on Groceries Without Coupons ~ @ Simple Midwest Mom
The Interchangeable Weekly Dinner Menu ~ @ The Practical Perfeccionista
****The winner of last week’s Reluctant Entertainer book was #11 Amy!****
Here’s what we’ll be eating this week:
Monday: Sausage Penne Pasta (using turkey sausage and whole wheat pasta)
Tuesday: Smothered Chicken & Rice served with broccoli
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Beef Stew (family favorite!) served with Bread Machine Garlic Bread
Thursday: Leftover buffet
Friday: Smart Pork-Pasta Toss
Saturday: Pesto BLTs (made with turkey bacon) and soup
Sunday: Happy Mother’s Day! Hubby’s going to made me a delicious omelet (he just doesn’t know it yet LOL)
WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU THIS WEEK?
Menu Plan Monday guidelines and banner selections are here.
Important announcement: Each week I get a number of people linking up that aren’t participating in MPM and are instead just looking for traffic to their sites. This wastes the time of all the people visiting links looking for menus. In order to try and get a handle on it (and to save me some work) I’m trying a new inlinkz feature this week. Basically once you put in your permalink (which is a direct link to your MPM post rather than your home page) then inlinkz will automatically search that post to ensure you’ve linked backed to orgjunkie.com (or my direct MPM post) somewhere in your post. You won’t notice any change unless of course you don’t link back or use a permalink and then you’ll get an error message. Thanks for your understanding!
The Happy Housewife says
Okay, I am cracking up! I did a double take with that bear photo! Seriously, my heart jumped the first time I saw it.
Back to the menu. I’m interested in that pork pasta toss. I have several pork recipes on the menu this week and I’m looking for more.
Have a great week.
Toni
Laura @ no more spending says
Thanks for hosting Laura! Have a great week 🙂
Liz@HoosierHomemade says
Thanks for hosting Laura! I’m hoping we can squeeze in a trip to the zoo this year, in between baseball games.
Enjoy your week!
~Liz
Phoebe @ GettingFreedom says
Love that picture of you, Laura! The smothered chicken and rice on your menu sounds fantastic!
Allison @ Alli 'n Son says
Thanks for hosting! I’m sharing this week’s meal plan and a favorite recipe, roasted rosemary baby red potatoes. Happy Meal Plan Monday!
Miz Helen says
Hi Laura,
Precious photo of you and that bear. Thank you for hosting today and have a wonderful week!
Keli says
That’s a shame that people would do that. I didn’t have an actual link in my post but I did say I was linked up to OrgJunkie.com. There wasn’t an actual link. I never realized that made a difference. It’s all fixed now 🙂
Looks like you had a great time at the zoo! We’re wanting to go to the Pittsburgh Zoo, but it needs to warm up first!
Thanks for hosting!!
Debbi Does Dinner Healthy says
The Pesto BLT’s sound awesome! I’ll have to try that! Thanks!
Crystal & Co says
Your menu looks so warm. It got cold here in Texas over the weekend. We went from high 80’s to the 40’s and we are so cold! I should have followed your lead with more stews and soups on my meal plan. Burr….
Jaime @ Like a Bubbling Brook says
Thanks for hosting, Laura!
I may need to look into that inlinkz feature myself; I just began a new Biblical Womanhood linky last week. I do feel a little guilty, though, because I know there’s been a time or two I forgot to link back on a post or simply made an error doing it. I’m thankful for grace from dear friends when my head gets fuzzy, lol 🙂
The inlinkz sounds like a nice reminder for linking back, and for being sure the link is working.
Have a blessed day!
Sherry says
Thank you so much for hosting this each week. 🙂 I look forward to seeing all the yummy menus and gleaning the recipes to make healthier and yummy choices! 🙂
Summer says
Thanks for hosting. I messed up with my first link – sorry!
Skinny Mom's Kitchen says
Thanks so much for hosting this meme every week. I have found amazing menu, recipes, and blog with it. I hope people find my menu plans just as useful as I find theirs.
Your sausage penne pasta sounds really good. My kids love anything with sausage. And I too always use turkey sausage.
Michelle says
While I completely understand why you added the new feature, I can no longer add my recipes to your link up, because the link back to your site is on my “Link party page,” which I consider a resource for people looking for parties. It’s kind of unfair to those of us who are still linking out to you, but just not in the particular post. I specifically have it all on one page so the information is visible at all times and not just in one post.
CrazyMom says
I can no longer add my page to your linky either, I use the Meal Plan post each week to link my Meal Plan up and I did that this week, too and it tells me no back link.. I know it’s there and I know it’s working.. 🙁 any help/ ideas??
Laura says
Looks like you did everything right…I tried linking up for you and had no problems at all. Check out link #198. Thanks so much!
CrazyMoM says
Thank you soo much, I tried for 3+ hrs to link up… no idea what I did wrong… then my pic wouldn’t load and told me now allowed; I’ve never had any issues 🙁 Now do I need to use the actual post link for MMP or your Blog link would work?? Just making sure.. I have no clue, maybe it got cached and wouldn’t do it.. THANK YOU for adding us 🙂
Laura says
Maybe you weren’t using the permalink to your post before which is the direct link to you MPM post. Hope that helps!
CrazyMoM says
No, I always use my post link… soo weired.. THANKS for helping and let’s hope next week it will work better for me…
🙂
Love the pic BTW
Tracey M says
Thanks for hosting this link up! I’ll have to check out your smothered chicken and pesto BLT’s. It sounds like a yummy week.
Living the Balanced Life says
I know, the photo did look real for a minute, lol! And I love how you have already picked out what your hubby is fixing for you on Sunday!
I appreciate your hosing this linkup. I never actually do a link post, but I love all of your ideas and of the other ladies!
Thanks, Laura!
Bernice
The weekend edition of Living the Balanced Life
Queen of the House says
Glad you could enjoy some well-deserved time with family! 🙂 Now, back to reality, right?! 🙂
Have a fabulous week and thanks for the link up, once again! 🙂
Amy - Simple and healthy says
Yay! Thanks! I can’t wait to read “The Reluctant Entertainer!” 🙂
Kiona says
Clear, infomrtaive, simple. Could I send you some e-hugs?
Brit @ Living with Three Boys says
Thanks so much for hosting! I’m excited about the new link up tool – sounds perfect!
Marishannon says
That bear looks vicious ;P
Martha (MM) says
Love the bear photo! 🙂
This week I’ve added a linky to my menu plan post asking for slow cooker links to create a slow cooker recipe index. It’s open all month. I’ll link it to your recipe index round up too once it closes. Thanks for hosting Laura. Have a great week!
Sinea says
Meatless meals! Be still my beating heart…if only I could talk my guys into it. They’d be in the car and on the way to Wendy’s in no-time to by a triple decker burger. Meat eaters everywhere! 🙂
Elisabeth says
Thanks for hosting, Laura. I submitted a link for a monthly menu.
Elisabeth
jamieS says
That Smothered Chicken and Rice recipe sounds mighty tasty! I am going to have to try it… Thanks for hosting this link up every week!
Sweet Mummy @ It's OK to be WEIRD! says
It’s a shame that you have to do these little ‘tricks’ to get around the tricksters, but I appreciate that you’re preserving the spirit of this hop with the added checking.
Spring break was pretty nice for us too – but busier than I would have liked. I need another break just to get over the last one! 😉
Thanks again for the linky and the inspiration!
a little bit of everything says
I am no longer able to add my recipe to hour link party….
Laura says
Hi there, yes in order to link up please share a weekly menu in your post, not just a recipe. Thanks!
Ashley says
Your Sausage Penne Pasta looks very similar to my Tuscan Sausage Pasta. I need to make that soon! Thanks for the reminder! It’s such a great spring/summer recipe because it’s cooked on the stovetop. I try not to turn my oven on at all if I can help it during the hot part of the year.
I’ve got links to two tried-and-true family favorites (and they’ve got pics!) on this week’s menu. We tried something new last night that we all liked, so I need to add that recipe to my recipe blog.
Samantha says
Hi Laura
I just came across your blog/website via a link on Social Luxe Lounge. I am so happy that I found your site. I am in desperate need of organising my home. Your site is very inspiring. Thank you so much! There are so many useful tips and information I hope I will use in my every day life.
Thanks, Samantha.
Laura says
Welcome Samantha, nice to meet you!!
Food on the Table says
Looks like the smothered chicken and rice is going on my menu this week! The only thing I’d need to run to the store for is cream of mushroom soup.
Thanks, Laura!