There are tons of detail about how the meals were chosen, but those methodologies basically stem from these facts:
1) Variety is important, meaning there are few repeats.
2) Left-over options are needed for lunch the next day, as everyone prefers a hot lunch (either packed at school or eaten at a desk, as the girls and Skip, respectively, do each day).
3) Two exceptions to the variety rule (there's an exception to every rule, right?) is that the trio prefer Italian. Therefore, "Italian night" is a weekly fixture so the duo can have left-overs for a couple of days. Also, George's favorite is meatloaf, and that option is repeated as well.
4) Having numerous meals that could be prepared in the slow cooker was an imperative for those nights when extracurricular activities are scheduled.
What was not particularly important:
1) The meals did not necessarily have to be elaborate or expensive.
2) Other than William George's allergies, there are few limitations, and no "picky" eaters (with the exception of me).
So here was our plan:
Week One*:
Monday: Barbecue Chicken (slow cooker), fries, green beans
Tuesday: Pork Roast with Plum Sauce (slow cooker) with fresh vegetables
Wednesday: Meatloaf (slow cooker) with fresh vegetables
Thursday: Carnitas (tacos) (slow cooker)
Friday: Sweet and smoky chicken (slow cooker) with fresh vegetables
Saturday: Lemony Pork and Vegetables
Sunday: Spaghetti with Meatballs
*The slow cooker saw a lot of action our second week back to school.
Week Two:
Monday: Tacos
Tuesday: Orange-apple pork roast (slow cooker) with vegetables
Wednesday: Spicy citrus chicken with vegetables
Thursday: Flank steak with lime marinade with baked potato and vegetables
Friday: Meatloaf with vegetables
Saturday: Grilled Tuscan chicken with rosemary and lemon with vegetables
Sunday: Ravioli
Week Three:
Monday: Glazed pork tenderloin with pineapple plus vegetables
Tuesday: Chicken Potpie
Wednesday: Pork chops with a kick (slow cooker) with vegetables
Thursday: Spaghetti
Friday: Chicken mushrooms in wine sauce (slow cooker) with vegetables
Saturday: Grilled hamburgers with fries and sweet peas
Sunday: Glazed pork tenderloin with pineapple plus corn on the cob and sugar snap peas
Week Four:
Monday: Asian pork wraps (slow cooker)
Tuesday: Beef ragu with penne pasta
Wednesday: Sauteed chicken in mustard-cream sauce with vegetables
Thursday: Meatloaf with vegetables
Friday: Turkey breast and herb cornbread stuffing (slow cooker) with green beans and corn
Saturday: Chili
Sunday: Spaghetti
As stated when this planning miracle was first mentioned, a master grocery list was created. Unfortunately, the list has been discarded, but I will try to share next month's list. In addition to the entree ingredient list, a variety of vegetable and side dish items were picked up as well, based on our family's preferences (e.g., many, many fresh, frozen and canned vegetables, potatoes, macaroni and cheese for the duo, etc.). Typically, the entree was listed on our menu board, and we, as a family, decided on side dishes each morning. Everyone having the opportunity to vote on dinner kept the menu plan from being staid.
Creating the menu and grocery list took approximately 1 1/2 hours, but that time has more than been recouped in not making special trips to the store and/or ruminating over what to have for dinner each night. My time was carved out of a Sunday afternoon. That would be an easy way to invest the time, or you could opt to devote 30 minutes each night (or on your lunch hour) for the planning piece. The shopping took longer than usual and cost more initially, but again, time and money was actually saved since our usual weekly return trips were not necessary.
How does dinner work at your house? Does a menu plan epitomize sanity for you, or do you work better putting something together spontaneously?
1 comment:
I am extremely impressed. Several of the menu items sound very yummy. I need to get myself in gear and try some of the slow-cooker recipes. We spend way too much money on fast food and several trips to the grocery store each week. I try to cook a real meal on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays. The rest of the week has to be super fast food because of church and dance. Sometimes that means sandwiches, frozen pizza's or leftovers. Other times that means Jack's, Taco Bell, or Subway and all of those are getting really old! Thanks for posting you menu and the links. Hopefully I will be able to try and few of the recipes. I will let you know what happend :)
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