Menu Planning

I want to start posting my weekly – monthly menu plans on my blog, so I can organize my plans and have a place to come back to.   I will be using these two icons to post my weekly menu and monthly menu plans.  I plan my meals monthly so I make sure I have the ingredients and supplies needed for the meals but then break it down by week on a dry erase board that is one my kitchen pantry door.  This helps me to see just the week at a quick glance.
  
I try to use themes in my menus to help in the planning department.  This makes it easier for me to come up with ideas that are easy and functional but not boring.

Monday- Meaty Monday (beef or pork – usually a crock pot meal)
Tuesday – Trusty Tuesday (meals that are tried & true)
Wednesday – Worry-free Wednesday (meals that are quick and easy)
Thursday – Treasured Thursday (meals  that are special or a new recipe)
Friday – Fiesta Friday or Freezer Friday (Mexican meal or meal from the freezer)
Saturday – Slow Cooker Saturday - Left Overs or Breakfast for Dinner
Sunday – “Souper” Sunday (Soup, Salads, Subs and/or Sandwiches)

This is my base plan – I will plan around this but some days I switch the meals around because of convenience, what is on hand and available, plans or because I just want to.

Recently I asked each family member what were their top 5 favorite meals and here was the list we can up with:

Chellsen Chicken
Potato Soup
Cowboy Stew
Baked Spaghetti
Hamburgers (homemade Fries)
Tacos
Sloppy Joes
Tater Tot Casserole
Beef and Broccoli
Orange Chicken (Chinese Chicken)
Ham Potato Casserole
Breakfast for Dinner
Pizza or Pizza Bread
Calzones
Chicken Stir Fry or Chicken & Rice
Sliders
Lasagna
Fettuccini Alfredo
Chicken Spaghetti (or Spaghetti Sauce with extras)
Nachos

These favorites are meals that will most likely be eaten up:  Of course some family members like some meals better than others but we know these are some of our tried & true and treasured meals.





I really like this menu sheet.  It is colorful and simple.  This can be printed and laminated or put in a frame. This way the menu can be reused by writing out each weeks menu plan with a dry erase marker for the week.  If you have a place to hang it on a wall the frame idea would be very cute!!!  Otherwise laminate it, place magnets on the back and slap it on the fridge.  I recycle old magnets that we get in the mail or from doctors offices, using my hot glue gun to adhere the magnet onto the back of the things I want to hang on my fridge.    You can download this form here:
http://coleybelle.blogspot.com/2011/01/weekly-menu-printable.html



Also a fun and creative way to  post your menus is by making a menu board:
Love the idea of being able to put your favorite menus on the cards and rotating them during the month.  On the flip side of each menu card is a list of ingredients and simple directions. Directions on how to make this board can be found here: http://clairsfairytale.blogspot.com/2012/01/ultimate-menu-board.html

Sample of my February Monthly Meal Plan

Menu Plan for week of 2/20-2/26

Monday – Cowboy Stew & Cornbread
Tuesday – Baked Potato Bar
Wednesday – Tater Tot Casserole
Thursday – Chicken & Veggies
Friday – Pizza
Saturday - Breakfast for Dinner
Sunday – Chicken Soup & Subs

I will start attaching recipes to some of our favorites soon.