Menu Plan Monday – Sept 24th
Welcome to a brand new week everyone!
Kim from Starry Sky Ranch asked last week why I don’t menu plan for Saturday and Sunday so I thought maybe others might have that same great question. For me it’s all about leaving some flexibility in my week for anything that might come up….a dinner out at either friends or a restaurant for instance. If it happens during the week I can then easily move my menu for that night to the weekend. If it happens on the weekend I don’t have to worry because I haven’t scheduled anything concrete. Also we almost always have more leftovers from the week to use up or we’ll do breakfast for dinner or something else as easy. Sometimes we’ll invite guests over for dinner on the weekend at the last minute and then I’ll just make an additional grocery trip to buy any extra ingredients we might need. Basically we just try to keep the weekends pretty casual which is why I don’t usually post my menu plans for Saturday and Sunday. I notice that many MPM participants are only posting menus for Monday-Friday. If you are one of them please feel free to add your two cents in the comments as well.
This week I’m breaking out the crockpot again. As evenings get busy again with after school activities the crockpot becomes my best friend. I’ve got quite a few crockpot recipes linked in my sidebar on the left and you can always find many more great recipes by visiting my friend Sandra for Slow Cooking Thursday each week.
Here we are for this week:
Monday: Easy Baked Ravioli and Apple Spinach Salad
Tuesday: Apple Dijon Pork Roast served with rice
Wednesday: Sweet Aromatic Chicken served with potatoes
Thursday: Leftover buffet
Friday: Chicago Style Pan Pizza
WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU?
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Wow!! I can’t believe I got in early this week 🙂
Everything on your menu sounds great! I may have to try the Apple Dijon Pork Roast – it sounds yummy!
Thanks for hosting again!
I just saved the Sweet Aromatic Chicken recipe! It sounds yummy!
I love leftovers – it means just one more night I don’t have to cook! We also have been having more leftovers lately, so I included that change in my menu plan this week.
Even though on my menu plan post I say which exact night I am going to cook a meal on, I still keep a lot of flexibility in mind. I am constantly shifting things around, but it doesn’t matter because I have all necessary ingredients on hand. Life just has a way on getting in the way of the things we organize 🙂 !!
Yum! Everything sounds good!! I love my crockpot….thanks for sharing your recipes!!
I do much the same thing as you on the weekend. Typically I will post Saturday/Sunday as leftover days. However, some times other things come up during the week and a meal gets moved to the weekend.
sounds good!! I love leftovers. I freeze them. They are my favorite things to bring to lunch.
Your chicken recipe sounds like a must-try! I’m bookmarking it.
We tend to be more casual on the weekends also, more catch-as-catch-can. We are also more likely to eat out on the weekends. Hmmmm. Maybe I need to think that one through! 😉
Have a great week and thanks for hosting!
Leeann
niccofive.blogspot.com
everything sounds so good. we need to break out the crock pot again too! thanks for the tip on slow cooker thursdays!
may i please gush again about how much i love menu planning? i can? thanks you! i loooooove getting a menu plan together each week. a fabulous tool! thanks for that too!
~jenn
Your week sounds great!!! We also leave two days open , not always the weeknd but atleast two days a week stay open for whatever may come up.
Have a wonderful week!
the easy baked ravioli and apple spinach salad sounds delish!!!thanks for sharing and also for hosting everyweek.;-)
sounds delicious! we are having chicago style pizza this week also. I must try that chicken too 🙂
The ravioli and chicken sound yummy! Have a good week!
I plan for 7 meals a week, but we rarely eat them all. It then means Monday/Tuesday are planned for, and if I don’t make it to the supermarket there’s no stress.
I plan a Saturday night dinner, but I always make it something easy, and something that we can not make (without wasting too many fresh ingredients) if something comes up. I do like having something planned, and we tend not to have a lot of leftovers, ’cause we eat them for lunch the next day.
Can I also chime in as the second person who saved that aromatic chicken recipe? I love everything on that ingredient list (coconut milk, soy sauce, garlic, etc.) and I just showed it to my husband and he “oooooh”‘d over it too. 🙂
peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell
This week I’m trying out one of the slow cooker recipes I found in your sidebar. And today we tried the potatoes and kielbasa one – YUM! I think I’m going to start using the crockpot for lunch after church as well as for dinner on dance nights. You may have just converted me. 😛 (Especially since it doesn’t make my kitchen as hot as the oven does!)
people are signing in here earlier and earlier it seems! i guess it’s good to get a jump on the week!
that spinach and apple salad looks yummy and so easy! i’m going to have to try that.
i’ve been thinking about crockpots too – but not for this week. it’s definitely starting to feel a bit like fall though, so i’m ready for some soup!
Sundays are always the same here. Roast dinner with all the trimmings, but Saturday varies, sometimes it’s a pizza, lasagne or anything else that’s quick and easy!
Come over to my little bit of Ireland and see what I’ll be force-feeding my litter!
Have a great week everyone.
My husband uses most of the leftovers for lunch at work. We’re also trying to avoid eating out except as a special treat, having every night planned helps us avoid the temptation. That and with three kids under five a restaurant is no place for us.
Hi Laura
I plan 5 days only because quite honestly, it just never occurred to me to plan the whole week. LOL
But seriously, I know it doesn’t seem like it but I actually like some flexibility with the weekend. In fact, because my week is highly structured, I’d go so far as to say I crave more spontaneity on the weekend.
I also like to use up anything I have leftover on the weekend. Extra pasta, rice, veggies so it also forces me to be creative because I like to start the week FRESH – that means nice full fridge with “new” food.
Have a lovely week!
Organising Queen,
Clutter Control Freak and
Marcia’s take charge blog
DH loves the Sweet Aromatic Chicken. That has made our favorites list. Looks like a good week. Thanks for hosting!
MJ
I plan on using my crockpot for at least one meal this week – maybe two.
I have moved my Menu Plan Monday posts over to another one of my sites – Raising a Healthy Family – it seems to be a better match.
I’ve been peeking in on Menu Plan Monday for about 2 months now, but this is my first time participating. I’m excited that I got myself organized enough to do so! 🙂 Anyway, thanks for hosting this… AND your Apple Dijon Pork Roast will probably be on my menu for next week (I bought a TON of pork roast this week on sale)!
Like Ordinary Mom, my menu plans are also flexible. I plan leftovers into my week, but we often eat things on the “wrong” days, and sometimes things carry over into the next week.
I’m just not quite ready to get out the crockpot–still too hot outside and something about using the crockpot reminds me of fall/winter and I’m still in denial…however, your week sounds delish!
First I want to say THANK YOU for Menu Plan Monday!! I love it. I am a planner anyway, but I think making it public really keeps me on the ball. I only plan 5 days too – you never know when someone will pop in (and by someone, I mean Grandpa) to take you out for pizza.
I don’t plan for the weekends either. Sometimes I do cook a real meal on Fridays, but sometimes it’s leftovers or something simple like frozen pizza. Then we usually go out on Saturdays and Sundays is sort of based on whatever we feel like!
Sounds very good. I wondered why you didnt post for weekends…but figured you were either casual or ate out…..I noticed your menu plan is getting huge…way to go gal.
I love my crock pot too…it’s new and I’m having a blast using it at least three times a week!
My menu is up, I think I’m going to try your college recipe, it sounds great!
Angela
Great menu plan! Thanks for hosting this.
Totally agree on the flexible weekend. Saturdays are my no cooking day. I make sure Friday is a big enough for leftovers. Sundays are usually flexible & my sweet husband often takes over.
Have a great week.
Thanks for all the great ideas in one place! We’re starting a crock pot meal every week, so I’m looking at all the blogs to find suggestions.
Kim
I love the crockpot. 🙂 It worls so well w/ cooler weather, too. Soups, stews, and chilis!
I don’t plan for Saturday & Sunday either. It’s mostly because we’re out & about running errands. My dh takes care of weekend dinners, as he usually grills out. I can’t come between my dh and the grill! lol
We also usually have leftovers we don’t plan to eat, so the weekend is a good time for leftovers.
I don’t plan for Sat/Sundays either! For about the same reason as you said, either we go out or do something with friends and we don’t always decide til the last minute. I might have to run get something else if we invite people over….or if a meal didn’t happen during the week we might have it on the weekend!
I’m doing one crockpot meal this week too!
I’ve never commented here, but I love your blog. You have been very inspirational to me. I love it when I walk into an area that I have organized! (I have a long way to go, though!)
And thank you for Menu Plan Monday!
That apple dijon pork roast sounds wonderful!
I also like keeping 2 days free. Leftovers are usually eaten on those days.
You have a yummy menu planned for this week. The Apple Dijon Pork Roast sounds like a winner, especially for these cool nights.
Hi! We leave two days blank as well for leftover nights and occasional nights for dinner out! Love your site! Your menu looks super yummy!
Anyone who reads my menus week to week will notice that what is scheduled for the weekend often turns up on the next week’s menu if we eat out or eat leftovers. I go on and plan for Saturday and Sunday so that I don’t have to go back to the grocery store!
Oh, I might have to try the Aromatic Chicken recipe next week. I have a can of coconut milk in my pantry I’ve been meaning to use.
I usually build in Sundays as leftover days so that I don’t have to cook. It’s a small way we try to implement Sabbath in our home.
Your menu looks good, Laura! I also am planning more crockpot meals in recent weeks. Even though I am home, I tend to be very busy with writing, studying, and crafting, and it’s so nice just to have that meal all simmering away and taken care of.
Thanks again for hosting… isn’t it exciting to see that you are helping over 100 families to enjoy better meals together!?
I have to try the Apple Spinach Salad! It looks deliciously autumnal. Thanks for helping me organize this one aspect of my life… now on to the laundry!
gina
What time is supper on Friday night? ;v)
I’m new here, got here via Jenn Westfall’s blog. Love the idea, thanks! At our house, Saturday gets left off as we have a family supper out of the house. I assume most of the leftovers will be eaten for lunch, but if not, I plan a leftovers night (that’s tonight…yay, no cooking!).
My first time! I hope I did everything right…. Thanks!
I came by way of Renee’s.
Chicago Style Pan Pizza sounds so good right now…I’m going to have to go eat lunch!
I love all these Menu Plan Monday. I will be trying some for sure. I am trying to get my menu planning and recipes organized, so I am not so stressed about food all the time. Does anyone ever plan out breakfast and lunch. I need some easy ideas for those too.
Oh, my word! I’m not sure which of these recipes to try first! They all sound wonderful!
Thanks for hostessing this each week!
Your recipes this week sound so good! I can’t wait to swipe them & try them soon! Thanks.
I am new to blogging, but an old hat at menu planning. I hope I did this right!
I can hardly wait for next week to come, so I can make that Apple Dijon Pork Roast (We were given a bunch of fresh pork this week, so I’m looking for new recipes to try.) Mmm. maybe we’ll have it on Sunday… come home from church to a delicious dinner waiting for us! That would be a treat.
Thanks for hosting this. It’s always a lot of fun, and keeps me organized!
Wow!!! I am number 169!!! You sure to have a good turn out for this!
I have to agree with Kathryn (above me)…planning my menu keeps me organized also!
Blessings!
Heather
Better late than never!
Apple spinach salad sounds yummy!
The Spinach salad looks good but I don’t like store bought dressings… too many chemicals. I perfer to make all my own salad dressings, so I’ll have to see if I can find one similar to that.
My menu’s up on my blog now too. 🙂 A pretty simple week because I started a new job, and so I’ll be exhausted. Tonight, there would not have been any supper if my husband didn’t make it, I was napping instead! 🙂
The apple spinach salad sounds good…I have a thing for spinach salads of any sort! lol!
Hello, I have been looking so forward to joining into your wonderful carnival. I trust with the external motivation I shall find much better success at meal times. Thank you for hosting. You have a beautiful blog. I love your color combinations. You know your colors.