How is it the last week in May already? It really is ridiculous how fast time flies isn’t it? BUT June is right around the corner which means it will officially be my birthday month. I like to celebrate all month because well one day is just not enough…ha! I love birthdays!! They make me happy and I love celebrating another year lived. Others don’t seem to share my love of the getting older celebration. Which side of the birthday camp do you fall on?
So Sunday we had not one but two picnic parties (one to celebrate my Baptism!). The weather was beautiful and I so love sitting around a camp fire watching it glow. Very relaxing!
This picture has nothing to do with menu planning but one of our get togethers yesterday was out on a farm and I thought this guy was just so cute 🙂
Here are a few more responses to the question I asked a couple of weeks ago – “what is one thing you do to ensure menu planning success week after week?”. Hope they inspire you!
I’m successful if I write out a monthly menu at the beginning of the month, and then review and tweak each week. I also make time during the week for different types of batch cooking to ensure I have what I need to make the meals. @ A Life in Balance
Having a consistent and dedicated time during my week that I can devote my time to planning my menu. Also, blogging every week about my menu has helped me stay on the menu plan ban wagon. I’m amazed at how much I now love menu planning. 🙂 Also, finding new recipes to try helps keep things fresh and new. @ Simply My Kitchen
What I do to keep my meals planned, is that I actually take time to DO IT! If I just “wing it” based on what I have on hand?…it will NEVER get done and it’ll be another day of eating out! Not to mention the expense and the expansion of our waistlines! SO…I make sure that before I take the trip to the store I have both the menu plan AND a shopping list!! That way, I am able to post the plan on the fridge and I actually buy the groceries needed for those recipes! It also means I don’t have to go back and get the stuff I “forgot” and I actually SAVE money because I am not picking up expensive extras! This is where Menu Plan Monday has SAVED me! I come every week for ideas from Orgjunkie and everyone’s blogs and I am able to put together very “tasty” and wholesome menus. Even my teens appreciate the food! Yes, sometimes I can go “winging it”, but the food is just better when I have a PLAN!!!! Sometimes this process can take an hour…BUT it is ALL worth it! @ Elizabeth
I think the key to menu planning for me is making it easy. I keep links to favorite and “want to try” recipes in an excel file that is organized like a cookbook (breakfasts, lunches, dinner entrees- pork, dinner entrees- poultry, desserts, soups, etc.) and I use another file to make the menu including breakfasts and lunches (both hubs and I work from home so that I really need to plan on having lunches here at the house.) When I sit down to make my menu, I just carry over any meals that didn’t get used the week before (since the groceries are already bought) and then fill in the blanks. @ Crafty Hope
Key to menu planning – taking enough time to plan quality meals. I can whip up a week of meals in no time, but I’m pretty sure my family doesn’t want to eat pasta for 7 nights straight. 😉 By taking my time to plan meals with good taste & flavor, variety and what they like to eat, I’m much more likely to have clean plates each night. @ Don’t Waste the Crumbs
Success in menu planning only comes when the family actually eats the meals, so I make what I believe is a varied menu filled with things they like. @ Cheap Thrills in Omaha
Meal planning got easier for me once I started doing it on google calendar. I set meals to repeat, so there are always ideas on there, and I paste in links or entire recipes when I find one I want to try. I also often use this as a starting point: pasta on Monday, soup on Tuesday, grain/meat/veggie Wednesday, suer easy/from the freezer or leftovers/big salad Thursday, Fri or Sat takeout, ideally my husband is responsible for Sunday. @ Julie
Weekly Menu Planning Resource:
Excellent post over at Squawkfox: Meal Planning: Save Time and Money in Your Kitchen
Giveaway Winner:
Last week’s giveaway winner of the two Taste of Home softcover cookbooks was #107 Food on the Table! Please email orgjunkie (at) hotmail (dot) com with your address. Thanks!!
My Weekly Menu Plan:
Monday: Crisp Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Slaw
Tuesday: Ham Ravioli Bake
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Cheesy BBQ Chicken Bacon Sandwiches served with green salad
Thursday: Leftover buffet
Friday: Sausage and Pesto Pizzas
Saturday: Breakfast for Dinner ~ Whole Wheat Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
Sunday: YOYO (you’re on your own!)
Have a great week everyone!
WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU THIS WEEK? JOIN US!
Menu Plan Guidelines, banner selections and recipe helpers are here.
More family favorite recipes here.
One of my favorite menu planning resources:
Susieqtpies says
Have a great day!
Angela says
Oooh! The black bean tacos look intriguing! (I adore feta cheese – maybe that’s why!) The BBQ sandwiches look like a fun twist on a favorite. Thanks for all you do!
Miz Helen says
Good Morning Laura,
Sounds like you had an awesome week end, and your menu looks very good for this week. Thanks for hosting and have a wonderful week!
Miz Helen
Liz & Doug@PocketChangeGourmet says
I’ve been looking for new slow cooker recipes, the chicken sandwich is sure to be a hit here. Thanks for hosting, Laura!
~Liz & Doug
Gina says
Glad you like the Pesto Pizza! I’ve since turned it inside out in Calzones and sometimes just use a homemade pizza dough. Yummy!
SnoWhite @ Finding Joy in My Kitchen says
We love wheat blueberry buttermilk pancakes around here — I love that Ari’s recipe contains cinnamon and nutmeg – what an awesome flavor combo 🙂 Have a blessed day!
Jami @ An Oregon Cottage says
I look forward to hearing all about your birthday “month.” 🙂 And those crispy black bean burritos are going on my menu, for sure! It’s the flour tortillas that got me, they look fantastic.
Just Trying To Save Money says
Our girls love Blueberry Pancakes!!
Tammy @ Skinny Mom's Kitchen says
Finally got my menu plan done – phew! It has been 2 weeks since I posted one and I felt it that is for sure.
The slow cooker chicken sandwiches sound right up my alley…I will need to give those a try soon.
Have a great day Laura!
Lisa @ CheapThrillsInOmaha says
Thanks for the link! The Slow Cooker Cheesy BBQ Chicken Bacon Sandwiches looks awesome, and I have a TON of chicken to use up!
Steph (The Cheapskate Cook) says
Congrats on your Baptism!
I love having birthdays; in fact, I’m kind of selfish about them, so I have to watch myself in how carried away I get. But my husband does a good job making much of me, and wish me happy birthday every day for about a week, haha.
I’m link #86, and I posted our frugal whole foods menu and the beginning of my quest for the perfect homeamde granola bars. Thanks for hosting!
Laura @ No More Spending says
Hi Laura and thanks for hosting! I loved the Squawkfox post!
Barb @ A Life in Balance says
Wow! I was so thrilled to hear I was mentioned! Thank you!
I shared my menu for the last week of the month. I need to get my June menu together which will hopefully have quick meal ideas for the 1st 2 weeks while the school year ends, and then I can get back into more cooking.
Now What Whitney? says
This meal plan link up is a great idea. I’m hoping I can get some inspiration from everyone’s menus. We are in need of some new ideas over here. But I don’t seem to be able to link up. I tried last night and again this morning. It may be a problem with my VPN though. (I’m in China.) Anyway, thanks for hosting!
Angie says
Ohh pancakes sound good. Might have to have breakfast for dinner next weekend. Yum!
I tried to link up but I’m not seeing it.
Narelle @ Cook Clean Craft says
My view on birthdays is that it’s great to have a day to celebrate ME (but don’t focus too much on what the number actually is – in fact, if you ask me how old I am, I generally have to quickly calculate it in my head from my year of birth because I’m really not fussed about the number!).
Thanks for hosting Menu Plan Monday – I’m not linking at the moment, but I love seeing the range of plans.
Em says
HAPPY BIRTYHDAY MONTH! We too celebrate as many itmes as we can in my family…you are right, one day is not enough!
Christy C says
Crazy weekend of camping and boating, I almost forgot to make my Menu Plan. Glad you all are here to keep me accountable and focused!!! Thanks!
Queen of the House says
My birthday month is coming to an end! LOL! Living in a house full of boys, they are not always the best at planning things for me, but that’s okay! My request for my “birthday dinner” was not to go out to a restaurant, but for them to make a birthday dinner for me. Hamburgers and steak on the grill with roasted veggies. It was fabulous! My husband did most of the work, and it was hard for me not to intervene, but we had a wonderful dinner together! 🙂
Laura says
Happy belated birthday!!
Carla says
I’m new to actually planning and look forward to the freedom it provides. Thanks for answering all the questions. Good info:) (congrats on your baptism and birthday month-I like that idea:)
~~Rhonda says
Happy birthday! I celebrated my birthday in May, as well. DH grilled chicken and pork steaks. So good! 🙂
Susan (5 Minutes for Mom) says
I just realized, I left my recent comment to you on LAST weeks post… I meant to leave it here…
Anyway, I wanted to let you know that ’m planning to be link to your Menu Plan Monday on Thursday from the Birds Eye Vegetables Facebook page as I’m being their community manager for the day. I will be recommending Menu Plan Monday as a helpful way to save money on groceries by planning out meals.