Menu Plan Monday #30 - Revised

I've rearranged things so much this week - for whatever reason - that I need to completely rework this week's menu!

Monday: breakfast sandwiches on English muffins

Tuesday: coconut shrimp and Zatarain's Caribbean rice
Surprisingly, Caleb loved all this!

Wednesday: sandwiches
We went to visit some friends after our library trip and ended up staying there until almost 6:00. By the time we got home it was too late to cook anything, so we had sandwiches instead. It was a great trade-off!

Thursday: Chipotle Chicken Cornbread Cups, salad, strawberries
I decided to try this new fall Pampered Chef recipe since I already have all the ingredients on hand.

Friday: BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, green beans

Saturday: blackened tilapia, Knorr Parmesan noodles, broccoli

Sunday: leftovers

Now I'm scouring the weekly grocery sale papers to plan next week's feasts.

Menu Plan Monday #30

We're back home this week, so I can get cooking!

Monday: breakfast sandwiches on English muffins

Tuesday: blackened tilapia, Knorr brand Parmesan Noodles & Sauce, salad

Wednesday: BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, spinach

Thursday: coconut shrimp, Zatarain's Caribbean Rice Mix, fruit salad

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: Satay Chicken Pasta Salad (a new fall Pampered Chef recipe)

Sunday: sandwiches

For more menu plan ideas, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday #29

Last week, we ate sandwiches almost every night because we came home from Billy's parents' house with a package of 24 dinner rolls and a 5-lb. container of potato salad. We put most of it to good use. This week, I'm back to cooking. Some nights, anyway.

Monday: leftover hamburgers from yesterday's grilling session - I have a meeting.

Tuesday: Taco Layer Dip - I'm hosting a homeschool curriculum gathering for several of my friends so we can look over what each other uses and ask questions about it. The big homeschool shopping day at Mardel is Thursday. Everything education-related is 20% off!

Wednesday: Florentine Scrambled Eggs, toast

Thursday: sandwiches - I will be attending a ladies' game night at church!

Friday: Chicken Quesadillas

Saturday: Jerk Chicken with Pineapple Chutney, served over a bed of rice

Sunday: - leftovers

For more menu plan ideas, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday #28

Last week's menu didn't go as planned. The boys and I were so busy some days, I just didn't feel like cooking a lot in the evening. And as it turned out, Billy wanted to have sandwiches a few nights since he hadn't had any for the month he was gone.

We ended up with chili-cheese corn dogs on Tuesday; scrambled eggs, biscuits, and bacon on Wednesday; and fried rice and egg rolls on Thursday. Oh, and we went out to Posada's for supper Saturday night.

That works out great for this week, though, because I don't have too much planning to do.

Monday: homemade pizza

Tuesday: crock pot steak (or chicken) with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, stewed squash and onions, salad, crescent rolls

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: sandwiches and fresh fruit

4th of July weekend: BBQ and all the fixin's

Sunday: sandwiches

For more weekly meal plans, check out Heavenly Homemakers. (The Organizing Junkie is taking a break this week.)

Menu Plan Monday #27

It's been a while since I posted a weekly menu, but since Billy's been out of town, the boys and I have been winging it. When we're not out of town, that is. Billy's getting back home tonight, so I'll be back to cooking this week. He's been eating Greek food for 3 weeks solid, and he told me he's really ready for something different.

Monday: leftover mac & cheese from last week or corn dogs/hot dogs

Tuesday: biscuits, scrambled eggs, and bacon

Wednesday: fried rice & egg rolls

Thursday: BBQ chicken, baked potatoes, salad

Friday: homemade pizzas

Saturday: out for Mexican food

Sunday: leftovers

For more menu ideas, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday #26

It's time again for my weekly meal plan. Last week's didn't go over as planned. We ended up eating sandwiches or corn dogs and hot dogs or macaroni & cheese for various reasons. I didn't get around to making spaghetti until Friday night, so we had those leftovers last night.

Here's the plan for this week:
Monday: chicken sandwiches and seasoned fries

Tuesday: pizza

Wednesday: chili cheese corn dogs and hot dogs

Thursday: picnic in the park with the Thomsons, then on to the Jason Castro concert :o)
(I forgot it was the same night as the LOST finale, so I'm going to have to be sure I record it!)

Friday: tacos

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: ???

To see more menu plans, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday #25

I'm a day late, but I didn't really have anything planned until late... I really need to get back to planning my monthly menus so I don't have to scramble up ideas at the last minute.

Monday: sandwiches or leftovers from last week (BBQ Ranch chicken salad, Taco Layer Dip)

Tuesday: spaghetti and meat sauce, salad

Wednesday: leftover spaghetti

Thursday: tacos

Friday: pizza

Saturday: We'll be going to Jay and Allison's for Grant's 2nd birthday party. We haven't seen them in a while!

Sunday: ???

To see more meal plans, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie

Menu Plan Monday #24

It's that time again!

Monday: Southwestern Cornbread Salad

Tuesday: left overs

Wednesday: Jerk Chicken with Pineapple Chutney (my own recipe, watch my recipe blog for the recipe and a picture later this week), salad

Thursday: left overs (If we have any!) or grilled cheese sandwiches

Friday: Pizza for the boys and the babysitter. Billy and I will be going to a SWIM Board BBQ. I think I'm going to take Western Hashbrowns.

Saturday: out!
This will be a busy day! I'll be attending the Graduating Wives' Coffee that morning, then Caleb will be attending the "How to Hide an Elephant" class at the zoo during the afternoon. I'll be too tired to cook!

Sunday: hot dogs and all the sides and fixin's at the AWANA Awards program at church
Since I don't like hot dogs, I'll be filling up on sides. I hope there's more than chips and potato salad...

For more menu plan ideas, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday #23

I can't tell you how great it was to get back on a menu plan last week! Oh, the Cubbies won the ice cream party last night for bringing in money for missions! They were so excited - and I think the older groups were really shocked that they had been beaten by a bunch of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds...

Here's the plan for this week:
Monday: homemade chicken pot pie, salad
I'm taking a meal to a friend of mine who recently had a baby, so I'm making two of these - one for them and one for us.

Tuesday: leftovers

Wednesday: lasagna, salad, garlic bread

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: chicken strips, mac & cheese, salad

Saturday: pizza for the boys and the babysitter
Billy and I will be attending a fundraiser dinner for CSNTM and his trip in May.

Sunday: sandwiches or pick/up on the way home from church
We'll have a short AWANA night, followed by a church business meeting.

For more menu ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday.

Menu Plan Monday #22

It's been a while! I've been busy, and we've been in and out of town so much that I didn't have an April menu made up until yesterday when I decided it was time to make a trip to the grocery store for more than just basic necessities.

Here's the menu plan for this week, albeit two days late...

Monday: sandwiches
I had a Board meeting.

Tuesday: lump crabmeat (imitation, of course) with a green salad, fresh fruit

Wednesday: crab salad sandwiches, fresh fruit

Thursday: Taco Layer Dip

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: pancakes and sausage

Sunday: AWANA pizza party - and the club that raised the most money for missions this semester (based on a per person average) will get a surprise ice cream party, too! Go Cubbies! (I work with that group) :o)

For more menu ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday #21

Last week's biscuit cups were really good, but there are a few changes I'll make next time. I hope to get it posted on my recipe blog this week, along with a few other recipes.

Yesterday was busy with Pampered Chef stuff, but now that I've finally finished my monthly newsletter, I can get back to regular blogging - and menu planning.

Monday: Pizza

Tuesday: Tuscan Chicken over Angel Hair Pasta, salad, garlic bread

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: Caleb decided he wanted to go out to eat for his birthday this year. His choice: Panda Express. I know what he wants, too - Mandarin Chicken and Chinese Noodles. (I think we'll all be getting some Mandarin Chicken!) He also decided he'd like me to make some brownies for his "cake" that night.

Friday: sandwiches, hot dogs, corn dogs, whatever
I have a show scheduled, but not sure what the turnout will be. I'll know more tomorrow night or Thursday.

Saturday: OUT!
Billy's parents will be in town to celebrate Caleb's birthday, so we'll let Caleb pick where he wants to eat. (With some guidance, of course. No McDonald's or Chuck E. Cheese!)

Sunday: ???!
The boys will be going back with Billy's parents for a week, so we'll probably go out to eat that evening.

Next week is spring break and the boys will be out of town, so we'll probably do more going out to eat than eating in. When we do eat in, it'll most likely be sandwiches or something quick.

Menu Plan Monday #20

I'm late this week, but yesterday was busy with all sorts of things: more than the usual mountain of laundry, preparing for last night's SWIM Board meeting, completing a jewelry project to submit to the retreat committee,... Today should be easier.

On with the menu!

Monday: potluck
(I had a SWIM Board meeting.)

Tuesday: Blackened Tilapia, Herb & Butter Rice (Lipton/Knorr package mix), Steamed Broccoli, and Mini Glazed Pineapple Cakes
The cakes are a variation of a new Pampered Chef recipe that I'd like to make at my shows this spring and summer. The original recipe is lemon, but I don't like lemon very much. We'll see how it goes.

Wednesday: Chicken & Sausage Gumbo
I really want to have gumbo one more time before it gets too warm for it.

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Biscuit Cups
I had forgotten about this recipe until my friend Stefanie mentioned it a few weeks ago. Someone in our Bible study group a few years ago brought this for our brunch/snack one morning and it was really good. She emailed me the recipe, but I never got around to making it. I'm really looking forward to this!

Saturday: Stuffed Baked Potatoes, salad, and dessert
Our small group from church will be coming over. I'll bake the potatoes and provide the toppings. Everyone else will sign up to bring drinks and the rest.

Sunday: sandwiches

For more menu plan ideas, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday #19

I've got some carry-overs from last week to work into this week's menu, which means some of the things I had planned for this week will be shifted to my March menu. I just have to decide what to keep and what to move...

I made my first homemade lasagna last week! I know that probably sounds crazy coming from me, but it's true. I love a good lasagna, but I always thought it was complicated to make. Besides, frozen lasagnas are pretty good. They aren't as good as homemade, though, so I finally tried it. We all loved it! Good thing, too, because we ate it with a couple from church on Wednesday night and again on Thursday night. Billy ate the last of it Friday night. I have a little more tweaking to do with the recipe before it's ready for Ashley's Cafe, though...

Here's this week's menu:

Monday: Easy Omelets for a Group
Jacob will get all his ingredients separately...

Tuesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup
One of those things I didn't get to last week...

Wednesday: Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad, cherry limeade
This is a new Pampered Chef recipe that I'm wanting to try. Well, I've tried it already and I love it; I want my family to try it.

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: potluck
I have a cooking show: Baked Potato Soup and Easy Apple Crisp.

Saturday: Blackened Tilapia, rice, steamed broccoli
Another one of those things I didn't get to last week...

Sunday: sandwiches

For more great menu ideas, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday #18

I made a few changes to last week's menu, so the pizza has carried over to this week. Otherwise things went as planned and everything was good.

Monday: homemade pizza with mushrooms, black olives, and onions
The small baking stones I ordered for the boys came in, so they get to make their own pizzas tonight!

Tuesday: lasagna, garlic bread, salad
We weren't able to go out to lunch Sunday with the couple from our Sunday school class, so I invited them over for dinner one night. We told them Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday would be better, but I haven't heard anything back. We'll go with the lasagna whichever night they come.

Wednesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: blackened tilapia, rice, broccoli

Sunday: sandwiches

For more menu ideas, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday #17

I'm a little late tonight with getting my menu up, but here it finally is.

Monday: potluck
It's haircut night, so I don't want to be standing around in the kitchen cooking and cleaning, then cutting everyone's hair...

Tuesday: pick-up
I have a Pampered Chef team meeting, so I'll pick something up for the boys on the way. I'll get to eat whatever people bring to the meeting. Hopefully it's not all desserts!

Wednesday: Broccoli Cheese Soup and Tomato Basil bread from Panera

Thursday: leftovers, maybe some baked potatoes to put the soup over...

Friday: homemade pizza
It'll be our standard - mushrooms, olives, and onions.

Saturday: out!
We'll be going out with my parents and sisters to celebrate Jacob's and Billy's birthdays.

Sunday: sandwiches

For more menu ideas, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Update: It just dawned on me that Thursday is Valentine's Day! Maybe I'll make a special dessert... I'm really wanting to make some Stuffed Strawberries, and the fact that they're healthy makes it even more appealing!

Menu Plan Monday #16

We ended up making a few changes to last week's menu. I didn't have enough tilapia in the freezer, and I didn't go to the grocery store Friday because I didn't want to take the boys with me, so it ended up being a fend-for-yourself night. The boys had PB&J, I had canned soup, and Billy had hot dogs (I think).

Saturday afternoon, our good friends from up in McKinney called and wanted to get together. We met them in Garland for dinner at Cheddar's, then went next door to Chick-Fil-A for dessert. It was much quieter there, so we were able to visit more easily. The kids had fun eating their ice cream (although Grant and Jacob dropped their cones and had to get new ones) and playing in the play area.

Oh, and I added BBQ meatballs to go along with our baked potatoes (which ended up not being super-stuffed) for Super Bowl Sunday. (Congrats to the NY Giants! I'm a fan of the Mannings, and it's great that the brothers won back-to-back Super Bowl championships.) I decided to hold off on the brownies until Wednesday, Jacob's birthday.

This week is going to be pretty crazy, so we'll probably end up eating a lot of sandwiches.

Monday: sandwiches or hot dogs/corn dogs
I'll be at a SWIM Board meeting.

Tuesday: sandwiches
We'll be hosting a table about Greece at our homeschool association's "World's Fair".

Wednesday: spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, salad, brownies
It is Jacob's 5th birthday! He couldn't decide what he wanted to eat, so I chose this. It's one of his favorite meals, and I've made it for him on his last 2 birthdays.

Thursday: leftovers
Not only will Lost be on, but the new season of Survivor comes on right before it. I'm not going to want to do much cooking or cleaning up!

Friday: ???
Billy's parents will be coming sometime that afternoon/evening. I don't know if we'll have sandwiches or take-out.

Saturday: OUT!
We'll go out to celebrate Jacob's and Billy's birthdays.

Sunday: sandwiches
AWANA nights are not good for cooking anything since we don't get home until 7:00.

I'm going to have to come up with some different ideas for quick-fix suppers for when we've got things going on. Sandwiches get old really fast - especially when you have them for lunch quite frequently!

For more menu ideas, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday #15

Last week was crazy, menu-wise. Hopefully this week will be more settled. I don't foresee any disruptions, as I've checked and double-checked my calendar. :o)

Monday: tacos

Tuesday: blackened tilapia, garlic butter rice, and steamed broccoli

Wednesday: corn and black bean soup, tortilla chips

Thursday: leftovers
Lost premieres and I don't want any distractions!

Friday: chicken enchiladas, salad

Saturday: homemade pizza, salad
This time I'm going with our standard mushroom, black olive, and onion pizza.

Super Bowl Sunday: super-stuffed baked potatoes, brownies

To see more menu plans, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday #14

Welcome to the worst-looking post in my blogging history...

Last week ran pretty smoothly, but Friday's pizza got replaced with chili-cheese corn dogs. I got busy with other things and didn't get around to starting supper until nearly 6:00, which was too late to get started on pizzas. Saturday night ended up being pizza night and the Greek-style pizza I made turned out good. It's not my favorite, but it was a nice change from our usual. The chicken strips and fries are being shifted to this week.

Update: Things are changing! When I was moving things around on the menu, I forgot that I had to have some dental work done this afternoon. I don't feel like cooking or chewing, so we'll eat whatever tonight. I'm not going to cook something delicious and not feel like eating it!

Additional update: Let's revise this yet one more time... I'm not changing it again!

Monday: crispy Parmesan chicken strips, seasoned fries, salad pot luck

Tuesday: vegetable fried rice, egg rolls
This is a great way to get the boys to eat some spinach! I add finely chopped spinach along with chopped carrots and thin slices of baby corn. The boys love the rice, and the spinach is too small to pick out, so they eat it all. And without complaining!

Tuesday: chicken quesadillas
I have everything I need for this - except the right kind of cheese... Go figure. But it's supposed to be cold and wet all day today, and I don't feel like getting out in it to shop for groceries. I think I'll just use string cheese on the boys' quesadillas and the sliced pepper Jack on mine and Billy's.

Wednesday: corn and black bean soup, tortilla chips
Billy came up with this recipe a few years ago. It's really good, but I can't remember all the ingredients... Guess I better get his list before I go grocery shopping tomorrow.

Wednesday: chicken quesadillas, salad vegetable fried rice, egg rolls

Thursday: leftover soup crispy Parmesan chicken strips, seasoned fries, salad macaroni & cheese, hot dogs

Friday: chicken quesadillas, salad pot luck again
I have a PC show that night, so I'll be sampling Baked Potato Soup and Easy Apple Crisp.

Saturday: crispy Parmesan chicken strips, fried ravioli, marinara sauce for dipping
Our small group is supposed to meet here. I don't know what the plan is yet... Guess I should find this out before my grocery trip as well.
For our small group meeting, we're having an appetizer potluck. The one we did before Christmas went over well and seemed to be a lot easier than coordinating a meal where everyone brings something. Next month might be a good time to have super stuffed baked potatoes...

Sunday: sandwiches

For more menu ideas, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie. They'll be much easier to read than mine.

Menu Plan Monday #13

Monday: grilled cheese sandwiches, grapes, chips

Tuesday: McDonald's (I have a PC meeting that's about 45 minutes away, so we'll need to eat on the way.)

Wednesday: Tuscan Chicken Soup, bread from Panera

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: homemade pizza (I'm thinking mozzarella and black olives with marinara sauce for the boys. Billy and I will have mozzarella and feta cheeses, black and green olives, and rosemary with olive oil and garlic brushed on the crust. I'll add some chopped tomatoes to my half.)

Saturday: Crispy Parmesan Chicken Strips, seasoned fries, salad

Sunday: sandwiches or leftovers

For more menu inspiration, check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday #12

This is going to be an easy week since I'll be gone part of the weekend. The guys will have to fend for themselves, but there are plenty of quick-fix items around.

Monday: Taco Layer Dip (We'll be having our own small party in honor of the LSU game tonight. I wanted to have fun food, and I didn't want to be stuck cleaning up the kitchen during the game!)

Tuesday: leftovers

Wednesday: Crock-Pot steak with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, and carrots (Temps are in the 70s and 80s this week, so I'm not really wanting to make soup. Hopefully things will be cooler next week. I still have several soups on my list that I'm wanting to make!)

Thursday: pancakes and sausage

Friday: ??? (I'll be attending a SWIM Board retreat.)

Saturday: ??? (I'll be returning from the retreat shortly after supper time, and I'll probably be too full from snacking all day to eat anything.)

Sunday: sandwiches (AWANA night)

A week or so ago, while I was looking over other menu plans on I'm an Organizing Junkie, I came across a really great post titled "How much does that recipe cost?" I've been saving my grocery receipts for several months because I've wanted to compare monthly costs since I started monthly menu planning instead of weekly. No, I still haven't gotten around to doing that, but now I'm inspired to grab that stack of receipts and figure not only monthly costs, but individual recipe costs as well. I'm really curious about the results...