After I posted last weeks menu, I totally changed it ;-) I decided to use up some meat we had in the freezer this week instead of buying more so that changed some of this weeks recipes. I'm also working on creating more of a monthly menu. Let me explain. I've gone through my recipe binder (which is HUGE quite honestly) and weeded out some recipes that I haven't made in at least a year. I then went through and pulled our top 15 favorite recipes and those have gotten plugged into an every month rotation. That leaves 15-16 days a month for other recipes, new recipes, and eating out. This will make planning so much easier. It will also make shopping easier because I can stock up on the things for those 15 favorites whenever I see them on sale and only have to shop for the odd things instead. I would also like to end up with 12 months of menus that I can then reuse next year. I know there will be new recipes I try that we won't like so there will always be room to move things around :-)
My basic plan is this: Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays will be Family Favorites (those top 15). Mondays and Wednesdays will be for other recipes we like but we don't need every month. Friday and Saturdays are for new recipes or eating out depending on what we are doing on the weekend. Since we eat our big mean normally on Sunday afternoons, Sunday evenings will be "fun". I would like to rotate some of our favorite appetizer recipes two Sunday nights and then the other 2-3 will be pizza (sometimes homemade sometimes out) or some other treat.
With that said this is the plan for next week:
Monday -Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Baked Brown Rice, Roasted Green Beans with mushrooms, Balsamic and Parmesan 7-Up Biscuits
Tuesday - The Best Chili, French Bread. I'm going to a ladies meeting for church tonight and am going to make Chicken Salad Roll-ups. I haven't made these in a long time so I hope they are as good as I remember!
Wednesday - Chicken Pot Pie,
Thursday - Ham and Cheese Quiche, hashbrowns, Easy Banana Bread
Friday -Spaghetti (I will be scrapbooking all day so I'm leaving something easy for my husband to feed the kids and they all love Spaghetti)
Saturday -Apple Stuffed Pork Chops with Herb Gravy (a new recipe), Bacon Cheese Potatoes, and Sauteed Cabbage with bacon.
Sunday - Lunch will be Tortellini Soup (this is one that can be put together the night before and then cook while we are at church) with homemade Garlic Bread. I'm going to do some fun snacks for dinner - Sausage Ball Puffs (These are great because you can mix a bunch up, freeze them and just make what you want), Holiday Bacon Appetizers (again, a make ahead recipe), A sandwich like appetizer that I have no idea the name of HA!
The extra things this week are:
*Wild Plum Chicken Salad - several years ago when my husband and I were in Gatlinburg, TN on vacation, we ate at the Wild Plum Tea Room and I fell in love with it. I've wanted to make this recipe for a long time :-) This is what I plan to eat for lunch a few days this week.
*A banana, strawberry, banana, granola roll-up for breakfast - something new to try that is easy but I think will be filling.
*Pumpkin Pie Granola (Figured I might as well make my own!)
*Pumpkin Seed Snack Mix
*Fresh Apple Cake
*Peanut Butter Cookies
