(Photo: flem007_uk)
This week we've done a meal plan. After having the baby, we had several generous and delicious food drop-offs. We also had planned ahead and had a freezer full of food donated by my dad. Alas, now the cupboards are bare and I'm finally ready to start cooking again. FitDad has been a trooper and has perfected some of our favorite recipes as I instruct him while nursing FitBoy.
I'm trying something new and going with a theme each night. Part of my problem has been inspiration. With menu planning you have to be inspired only once/week...when you make the plan(!) I created a Google Calendar category for dinners so I'll remember what's on the docket.
What we're having this week:
- Monday (Wildcard-our favorites): Polenta tamale pie (adapted to be vegetarian)
- Tuesday (Leftovers)
- Wednesday (Soup): Spinach tortellini soup
- Thursday (Crockpot): Enchiladas (omitting condensed mushroom soup) *new recipe*
- Friday (Salad): Taco salad
- Saturday (Eat out!)
- Sunday (Breakfast for Dinner): Eggs and waffles
Trouble is, by the time I shopped for the ingredients, we were about $20 over our normal grocery bill. Even with the leftovers that FitDad can take for lunch, I'm not sure we're going to save money doing a meal plan. Usually, when we don't have a menu planned, we are more resourceful and use practically anything we have to make a meal. Like last night, when we threw together some waning zucchini, goat cheese, bow tie pasta and last summer's frozen blanched tomatoes. With leftovers for lunch.
We'll see; I'll let you know how we do on Friday. Just trying to figure out what's going to work. It's important for me to fix a hot meal for our family, so in the interest of balancing family and frugality, a slightly more expensive grocery bill just might be worth it!
Some other resources for weekly meal planning:
- Healthy One Pan Recipes (I love the Carmelized Tofu) @101 Cookbooks
- Stay accountable and submit your own Menu Plan @I'm an Organizing Junkie
- One approach to menu planning @Stretching a Buck
- More on using Google Calendar as a tool @SimpleMom
